Harry Potter and the Boondock Saints
by Kalistar
Summary: AU Abandoned on the streets of Dublin. Ignorant of the wizarding world, what will they do after finding out that their savior is on a mission to bring retribution to evil in the world as one of the Saints of South Boston? Crossover with the Boondock Saint
1. Chapter 1

Saint Harry MacManus or Harry Potter & The Boondock Saints

A/N: I do not own Harry Potter & Co. or The Boondock Saints by 20th Century Fox.

A/N 2: I don't know how long this will be, but the first chapter will take you from Voldemort's downfall up to the end of year 7.

**A/N 3: Harry will also be known as Kevin later in the fic.**

**Summary: AU Harry never lived with the Dursleys. Abandoned on the streets of Dublin, Harry grew up as Kevin MacManus. Ignorant of the wizarding world, what will they do when they find out that their savior is on a mission to bring retribution to evil in the world as one of the Saints of South Boston? Crossover with the Boondock Saints.**

**October 31st, 1981**

**_#4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, UK_**

A trio of figures approached a well-kept home in the darkened street of Privet Drive. A giant of man stood beside two other figures, one clearly female and the other an ancient looking man with a long white beard and flowing hair.

The severe looking woman was dressed in black clothes and black robes. On her head was a tall pointed black hat fitting perfectly every nursery rhyme description of a witch. She gave the wizened old a man a withering glare as she said "Albus is this truly the best you could come up with? These people will not provide a good home for the boy."

The man looked back, his eyes sad and replied "They are all the family he has and here he will be able to escape the fame that would follow him in the wizarding world."

"But you said his magic was fluctuating wildly, wouldn't he be better off in an environment where it could be monitored? What will you tell people if he ends up a squib because you couldn't be bothered to find a better home for him?" She said accusingly. James and Lily had been two of her favorite students and she hated to see their only child placed in such an environment.

"That's enough Minerva! His magic will stabilize, I am sure that it is just a reaction to surviving the Killing Curse. The Dursleys may not be the ideal family but I am sure that they will come to love the boy as their own." Albus said sharply before turning to Hagrid, the tall hulking figure that was holding the sleeping baby.

Albus held his arms out silently and Hagrid who was crying softly placed the precious child in the waiting arms of Albus Dumbledore. "Goodbye Harry, I will see you when you come to Hogwarts." Hagrid finished by placing a surprisingly gentle kiss on the boy's forehead.

Albus knelt down and gently laid the sleeping boy upon the doorstep of the Dursley residence. In a soft comforting voice he said "Good luck Harry Potter." Standing once more, the three shared a sad silence as they thought of the all the good people that had been killed before Harry brought an end to the reign of Lord Voldemort one of their world's darkest wizards. With nothing left to be said, the trio made their way slowly to the end of the street and disappeared, leaving the young Harry Potter to his fate

**November 1st, 1981**

At approximately 6am in the morning, Petunia Dursley opened the front door of her home to retrieve the daily paper for her husband. Normally she would not be up this early, but he had to leave for a short business trip to Dublin this morning. However, what she saw was not the morning paper but a baby boy wrapped snugly in a blanked with a note attached.

She of course noticed a fresh cut on his forehead shaped like a lightning bolt and unruly black hair. While his features looked familiar she could not immediately place them. Her mothering instincts taking over, she picked the boy up and carried him into the kitchen where her husband Vernon was eating breakfast.

Vernon looked up from his eggs when his wife entered the kitchen. Surprise and curiosity were evident on his face by his wide eyes and open mouth. "Petunia, where did the child come from?" He knew it wasn't Dudley; his precious son was still asleep upstairs.

Petunia was gazing at the boy adoringly and answered "I don't know he was left on our doorstep. Obviously someone knows how well we raise Duddikens and was hoping that we would do the same with their child."

Petunia handed Harry over to Vernon to hold while she read the note. Vernon was just starting to warm up to the idea of another child when Petunia gasped. Looking up from Harry's face, he saw that his wife was pale as a ghost and her hands were trembling. "Petunia what is it?"

Petunia's whole demeanor had changed. She was cold and angry and the only one she could direct it at was Harry. "That thing is my sister's son. Apparently they want us to take care of it since she and husband got themselves killed. I won't do it Vernon. I won't have it corrupting Dudley with magic, who knows what could happen."

Vernon practically threw Harry onto the kitchen table as if he were tainted. The shock woke Harry up who started crying loudly. "What should we do, should we leave him at an orphanage?" Vernon's mind was racing trying to come up with an idea while blocking out Harry's cries.

Petunia was looking at Harry now with a look of disgust, her entire body tense with anger at the burden her sister was trying to saddle them with. "No, how could we do that to some self-respecting family, they would have no idea what he is. We should leave him somewhere; maybe I could leave him in London."

Vernon jumped on the idea of abandoning Harry. "No you can't do it in London; someone might see you or recognize you. I can bring him with me to Dublin and leave him there. Then he could never be traced back to us."

Both adults turned cold gazes to Harry, neither feeling any true remorse for planning to abandon Petunia's last living relative outside of their small family. Sighing in annoyance, Petunia said "I better feed the thing before you leave, we don't want him attracting any more attention than necessary."

Vernon went upstairs to finish packing for his trip. While Vernon was upstairs, Petunia burned the letter and threw the blanket away. There would be nothing to tie them to Harry. Harry had quieted quickly after being fed and was once again sleeping when Vernon came down with a small bag, ready to leave for the airport.

"Will you need to get another plane ticket for the boy?" Petunia asked, upset that they would have to spend money on him.

Vernon shook his head. "No, since he is so young, I can hold him on my lap. I have seen other parents do it. I will call you after it is done." After a quick kiss on Petunia's cheek, Vernon left for the airport with Harry.

**_Random Back Alley, Dublin, Ireland_**

Walking for a good 10 minutes in one of the poorer neighborhoods of Dublin where he had been dropped off by the taxi, Vernon came upon an empty alley. Quickly glancing around, he saw no one in the immediate vicinity and entered the alley. With another quick glance to make sure no one was watching Vernon placed Harry behind one of the garbage dumpsters gently. He didn't need the brat waking up now and making a fuss.

Harry slept blissfully unaware as Vernon walked furtively out of the alley and hailed another taxi to take him to the hotel he was staying at. Sparing only a brief glance out of the rear window of the taxi as it sped away, Vernon sent a silent prayer of thanks to God that nothing had gone wrong and now he and his family could forget that the brat ever existed.

Luckily for Harry, God was watching down on him that day. Unknown to Harry, he had a destiny ahead of him, one from God himself. So it was that a poor but caring woman on her way back from picking up groceries heard Harry's soft cries from the alley. Brow furrowed in concern, she followed the noise until she found Harry's small form hidden behind one of the garbage dumpsters. Without any hesitation, she set her groceries down and picked Harry up.

Harry quieted instantly. A pair of beautiful deep green eyes stared back into hers. She gasped; she had never seen such green eyes before and her heart melted when she took in his pale features and messy black hair. Running her free hand through his hair, she noticed the cut on his forehead and thought that somehow it suited him. Though she had only held the boy for mere moments, she could feel her heart swell with love for him. A fierce feeling of protectiveness came over her, it would be hard, but she could stretch their money enough. Yes, she would raise this boy as her own.

It was a struggle to carry Harry and the groceries but it was only a short distance to the run down building where she and her two sons lived. After placing the groceries on the floor outside the apartment, she opened the door and walked in. Mary Kelly, a teenage girl that lives across the hall who was watching the twins looked up. Her eyes widened when she saw the baby in Annabelle's arms.

"Mrs. MacManus, who is that? Where did the baby come from?" She asked curiously. Luckily the boys were sleeping and her morning had been quiet.

A tear rolled down Annabelle's face as she answered "His parents abandoned the poor child in the alley a block from here. Who knows what would have happened if I hadn't heard him crying." It was very cold out and no doubt he would have frozen to death before long.

In the tactless manner that only teenagers can get away with Mary asked bluntly "What are you going to do with him? Can you afford to raise another boy?"

Annabelle placed Harry in Mary's arms while she went out to bring in the groceries. After closing the door she said resolutely "It will be tough but I can do it. I just don't know how any parent could give up such a cute boy."

Annabelle retrieved Harry from Mary and asked "Can you watch the boys again tomorrow; I am going to take boy to the police station to start the process of adopting him? Hmm…he needs a name; I can't keep calling him the boy."

Mary piped in "I've always like the name Kevin. And yes, I can watch them but only until lunchtime, I have school in the afternoon."

"Kevin…Kevin MacManus how does that sound?" Annabelle asked as she looked down at Harry. He smiled up at her and giggled. "Well, I guess he likes the sound of it. Kevin it is. And thank you Mary, I appreciate it. What do you say Kevin, do you want to go meet your brothers Connor and Murphy? They are only a little older than you are and I hope you will all be inseparable."

**November 2nd, 1981**

**_Police Station, Dublin, Ireland_**

Annabelle walked into the district police station at 9am the next morning. She was beaming as she thought about the previous evening. Connor and Murphy had taken to Kevin immediately and wanted to play with him. Already they were including him in their games. It was with a soft laugh and the image of Connor and Murphy fighting over who got to be Kevin's big brother that she approached the front counter. A stern looking policeman with graying hair and a noticeable paunch was sitting behind the counter looking bored.

"What is the problem miss?" He asked politely.

"I found this boy abandoned in an alley yesterday." She said sadly. Like many policeman Patrick Dunny had a soft spot for children and any crime involving them immediately got his blood boiling.

"Do you know whose child it is? Was there anything else there to link him to his family?"

She shook her head and said "The only thing was this blue blanket but it was obvious he wasn't there long. Thankfully it wasn't too cold out yesterday."

"Thank you for bringing him in miss. I guess it means the orphanage for him. Even if we can find his parents, I don't think he would be safe with them if he has been abandoned once already." Patrick said

Annabelle refused to hand Kevin over and she said urgently "Oh no, you misunderstand me. I don't want him to go to an orphanage, I want to adopt him."

Patrick's face lit up. It was so rare for someone from this neighborhood to show such caring. Most of the residents were poor and just getting by so to see someone willing to sacrifice to give a little one a home was just a special occurrence. "Really, you would do that? I mean I can help you get the paperwork started; we can work with the orphanage at St. Michaels. I have some friends there that I'm sure would help out."

A relieved smile once again broke out across Annabelle's face. "Thank you, I fell in love with him already and I didn't want to give him up."

"Kelly, watch the front I need to head out for a bit." Patrick called out before grabbing an overcoat. "Come on, I will take you there now and we can get the ball rolling."

A note of worry crept into Annabelle's voice as she asked "Will it make a difference if I'm moving to the United States next year? I have family over there in Boston and a job waiting for me."

Patrick just shook his head and replied easily "Nahh, as long as all the paperwork is done before you leave, he will be your son. Do you have a name picked out for him yet?"

She nodded shyly "Kevin, Kevin MacManus."

Patrick just smile and ruffled Kevin's already messy hair. "Ahh, a good Irish name you have their lad. Make sure you do your mother proud now." Laughing at his statement, Patrick led Annabelle over to a squad car to take her to St. Michaels. "Don't worry, Kevin will be all yours soon enough."

Annabelle just nodded happily and held Kevin close to her. So much was changing in their lives, first moving her family to Boston and now she had a new son. God must be smiling down on her because she just knew her boys would do great things.

**July 31st, 1991**

**_#4 Privet Drive, Surrey, UK_**

Albus Dumbledore would never be described as inconspicuous either in the wizarding or muggle worlds. Today was no exception; he was dressed in a light purple suit with a white shirt and a yellow tie. If it had not been a weekday it would be likely that everyone on the block would have noticed him. As it was, there was very few people home to possible witness him approach the front door of #4 Privet Drive.

It had been close to ten years since he had been here. Little had changed with the house since that day. He felt a tingle of excitement go through him, he had often thought of Harry during the last ten years. Hopefully he would be ready to take up the mantle of hero and savior because the wizarding world needed him and would give him little choice.

A crisp knock on the door startled Petunia Dursley from her reading in the living room. With an annoyed sigh, she closed her book and walked over to answer the door. She opened the door and took in the figure standing in the doorway. Based on his strange appearance, she almost slammed the door in his face, but curiosity overwhelmed her common sense. So she said sharply "Yes, what do you want?"

"Petunia, I have come to deliver Harry's Hogwarts letter personally." Albus said with eyes twinkling and a friendly smile on his face.

Petunia paled and slammed the door shut even as she screeched "There's no one here by that name. We don't live with freaks!"

Dumbledore frowned and pulled his wand out. A quick wave and the door lock clicked open. Entering the home a little warily, Dumbledore called out "Petunia, I would like to see Harry. Where is he?"

Petunia emerged from the kitchen. She had hoped he would go away but knew in her heart that he wouldn't. "He isn't here."

"Well when will he be home?" Albus was starting to get a sinking feeling in his stomach.

Hissing spitefully she said "We never wanted that thing. It would have been an abomination just like my sister. So we got rid it."

Wand raised threateningly, Albus ground out "What did you do Petunia Dursley?"

Standing straight and proud, she said with a thin smile "We left him in an alley. I wasn't going to let him taint my home."

Albus' mouth moved but no sound came out before he was able to get control of himself and asked "Where did you abandon him? Why didn't you leave him at an orphanage?"

Snorting in disgust Petunia said "Vernon and I did not want some unsuspecting couple to be saddled with its freakishness. As to where, Vernon left in in some back alley in Dublin. Now if that is all, I want you to leave."

Albus deflated visibly. "Why would you do such a thing to your family? He was your only connection left to your sister." Albus was truly mystified that she could treat her own family so callously.

"My family is better off without her or her spawn. None of your kind should be allowed to interact with us decent folk. Now you have your answers so get out of my house."

"I hope one day you will come to regret your actions." Albus replied sadly. After taking one last look around, he apparated back to the Hogwarts. There was much to do. Hopefully they would be able to find some trace of Harry in Ireland. Unfortunately locator spells would not work if Harry wasn't aware of his identity and it is unlikely that the either Vernon or Petunia left anything that could be tied back to them when they abandoned Harry.

**August 2nd, 1991**

_**Cottage, Cadair Idris Wales**_

Remus Lupin was sitting at an old worn table drinking his morning tea with tear tracks drying on his face. He was the last of the Marauders and now his only link to James and Lily Potter was lost if not dead. He was shocked when he saw the headline on this morning's Daily Prophet.

_**Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived Missing**_

_**By**_

_**Rita Skeeter**_

_This reporter learned yesterday that Harry Potter, savior of the wizarding world was abandoned by his only surviving relatives. According to reliable sources Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry left the boy savior on the doorstep of Vernon and Petunia Dursley. Once the couple learned of Harry, they promptly abandoned him in Ireland. As you read this, Aurors from both countries search for him but there is little hope that he will be found after all this time._

_One must ask why our hero was deposited on someone's doorstep like yesterday's garbage. Why did neither Dumbledore nor the Ministry ever check-up on his welfare? Isn't it normal policy for the Child Protective Services to follow up to ensure that there are no problems? Clearly there is more to this story than we are being told and I for one want answers._

_See Page 3 for a history of the Potter family._

Remus knew he couldn't lay all the blame on Dumbledore for this. It was his own fault too. He had simply blocked out Harry's existence in order to avoid thinking about James and Lily or the traitor Sirius Black. He failed his friends for a second time, hopefully one day they would find Harry and he could make it up to him.

**September 3rd, 1991**

**_MacManus Apartment, Boston, MA USA_**

Annabelle coughed lightly into her hand. Grimacing she saw a couple of spots of blood on her hand. Her appointment with the doctor was later this morning, it had been put off too long already. Quickly she washed her hands before calling out for her boys. "Connor, Murphy, Kevin get your butts out here now before your breakfast gets cold."

The scramble and scuffling she heard coming from their bedroom brought a smile to her face and for the time being at least, she could forget about this cough. She looked up when she heard the door open. Kevin was charging out, Connor's shoes and favorite hate in his hand as he laughed. Connor raced out after him, diving into Kevin's legs, knocking him to the floor.

Kevin just laughed as Connor started tickling him. "I warned you, now you must pay for your crimes." Connor said is a pseudo evil voice.

Kevin giggled and struggled to push Connor off him or at least stop him from tickling him. He was able to gasp out "Mom…make him stop."

Annabelle just laughed and said "Oh no, reap what you sow." Then the last of her boys sauntered out of the bedroom dressed and without a care in the world. Murphy took a seat at the table and started filling his plate while Kevin and Connor struggled and rolled around on the floor.

Connor looked up and saw Murphy eating and realized he was missing out so he settled for a light smack to Kevin's head and a ruffle of his hair before he got to his feet. Kevin spent another minute catching his breath from laughing so hard before sitting with his family at the table.

It was the first day of the new school year. Annabelle wanted her boys to have opportunities that she never had so she always pushed them to do well. "I want you to pay attention and learn everything you can. And I better not get any calls about fighting this year." She said warningly. It never failed, when one of her boys was picked on, the other two would stand up for him. Even though Connor and Murphy were two years older than Kevin, it didn't stop him from defending them if needed.

"Yes mom." They said in unison. They had long since gotten used to their mom's school lecture. Since they were little, she had taught them languages and anything else that may help them in the future. So at the ages of 13 and 11, they already knew Gaelic, French, and Italian and were learning Russian and French.

"And don't forget, we have church this evening so don't be late."

After eating breakfast, the boys got their stuff together and left the apartment to head off to school. On the way out, each grabbed a crucifix that was hanging by the door and hung it around their necks. Like any good Irishman, the boys were raised Catholic and had a strong belief in God and his works.

At school, the bullies had learned to leave the trio alone. They certainly weren't the best fighters out there, but they were the scrappiest. None of them would stop until their other brothers were safe. Despite the fights, their teachers liked them often remarking on their polite demeanor and attention to their work which came from a desire to please their mom.

All in all, the boys didn't have a lot of money, the newest clothes, or the latest toys but they were happy.

**September 7th, 1993**

**_Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry, UK_**

Remus and Albus were sitting in Remus' office waiting for Ron Weasley to return with his pet. Neither man spoke; each was lost in their own thoughts. Remus had had two classes with Ron so far and each time he had smelled a familiar scent. It had taken him until nearly the end of class today to finally place it. For some reason, Ron Weasley was carrying Peter Pettigrew's scent. But that shouldn't be possible because his friend was killed by Sirius Black years ago. After speaking with Albus about his suspicions, they sent a message to Ron asking him to meet them in Remus' office and to bring his pet rat. Albus having pointed out that Ron had a pet rat after Remus explained about the Marauders being animagi.

Remus jumped slightly when there came a tentative knock at his door. Ron nervously entered the office, fearing the worst. Scabbers his pet rat began to squirm like mad as soon as they entered the office. Tightening his grip on the old rat, Ron said in a shaky voice "Professor you…you wanted to see me?"

As soon as Ron entered the room Remus smelled Peter's familiar scent. Albus had to physically restrain him from grabbing the rat out of Ron's hands. In his grandfatherly voice that he had successfully used to calm his students for years, Albus said "Ron, can you hand me your pet? We have some suspicions that we need to explore."

Confused Ron handed Scabbers over to the Headmaster. "What's going on sir, why do you want Scabbers?"

Remus answered "How long have you had Scabbers Ron?"

"Since I started at Hogwarts before that he was Percy's." Ron said; face crimson with embarrassment that even his pet was a hand-me-down.

Remus sent a weak stunner at the rat so that Albus could place him on the floor. Seeing Ron's protest at this treatment he said "Ron, it is virtually impossible for a normal rat to live that long. If we are right, this isn't a rat but an animagus by the name of Peter Pettigrew."

The two professors shared a glance before pointing their wands at the still form of the rat. At an unspoken signal both cast a spell to reveal the true form of Scabbers. A blue green light flared from both wands enveloping Scabbers who began to grow and change shape. In seconds, Scabbers was gone to be replaced by the stunned form of a dirty and disheveled Peter Pettigrew.

Albus, Remus and Ron stared at the stunned man in silence for a long moment. "Albus, if Peter is alive then what happened with Sirius? Why would Peter be in hiding all this time?" Remus asked nervously. Against his will, a spark of hope flared in his heart that maybe his friend wasn't the betrayer after all.

"I'm not sure, but we need to get answers quickly." Albus turned to Ron and said "Ronald please find Professor Snape and ask him to bring a vial Veritaserum up here."

Ron was too stunned to answer. His pet was really an animagus. He had slept with the man in his bed for the last few years. A shudder rippled through his body at the thought before the Headmaster's request finally filtered through his brain. "Yes sir."

**September 14th, 1993**

_**Azkaban Prison, UK**_

Remus Lupin and Kingsley Shacklebolt made their way down the dark corridors of Azkaban Prison. The atmosphere dark and foreboding filled with the soft cries and moans of the prisoners suffering under the Dementors relentless ministrations.

Remorse and guilt wrred for dominance in Remus at the moment. He should have known that Sirius would never betray James and Lily; he had loved them too much. If only there had been a trial, then none of this would have happened. Sirius would have been able to present his side of the story but Remus, Albus and the rest of the Order of the Phoenix were too sure of his guilt. Why waste a time with a trial? It was much simpler to just throw the traitor in prison to let him rot.

After many minutes of walking, they arrived at Sirius' cell door. Kingsley opened the door and Remus got his first look at Sirius Black in 13 years. The man slumped on the floor staring lifelessly at the wall bore virtually no resemblance to his old friend. He was emaciated, his skin stretched taut over his bones, his black hair was long and matted, his skin was pale and filthy but the worst was the lifeless look in his deep blue eyes. Clearing his throat sadly Remus said "Sirius, it's me Moony."

There was no response; his eyes didn't even flicker from the wall. "Sirius, we found Peter. We know you are innocent." Still there was no response from Sirius.

"Kingsley, can you help me with him? We need to get him to St. Mungo's." Together the two men hoisted Sirius and left the prison. Remus could only hope that his friend would recover and forgive him.

**December 14th, 1993**

_**St. Mungo's Hospital, London UK**_

Sirius Black was finally leaving St. Mungo's hospital and it couldn't be soon enough for him. He had been there for three months recovering from 13 years of near starvation and the effects of the Dementors. He still had nightmares but they weren't as frequent. Christmas was coming and he had to get out, he wanted to spend the holidays with Harry, it would be the first time he had seen his godson since he was a baby.

The Ministry had been very generous and awarded him 500,000 galleons for wrongful imprisonment. Between that and the Black Family vaults he would never have to work again. He had already purchased a two bedroom flat near Diagon Alley where he and Harry could stay. All he needed now was to get it furnished to do some long overdue Christmas shopping.

Remus knocked on the door before entering. The progress that Sirius had made was incredible. There were still shadows in his eyes that would probably never go away. Remus was afraid how Sirius would take this news; he had studiously avoided the topic of Harry since Sirius came out of his stupor. "Hey Padfoot, are you ready to get out of this place?"

"God yes, there's so much I need to do before I see Harry. Will you help me furnish his room; you should have an idea of what he likes since you are teaching this year? What house is he in? He's in Gryffindor isn't he? Does he play quidditch?" Sirius was rambling in his excitement. Early on he had wondered why Moony always avoided the topic but he figured it was because Harry wasn't ready to meet him. Now that he had recovered though, nothing would stop him from reuniting with his godson.

Remus sat down in a chair by Sirius' bed. "Sirius I don't know how to tell you this…" He trailed off, afraid to continue.

"Whatever it is Remus you can tell me? Nothing can be worse that Azkaban."

"Padfoot…Harry is missing. Albus left him with Lily's sister but they abandoned him in Dublin the next day. Albus swears he is still alive but no one has been able to find any trace of him." He finished quietly.

Sirius took the words in silently. Blue eyes were swimming in tears and he just seemed to collapse in on himself. Guilt rose in him once again, if only he had never suggested the switch to James or if he hadn't been stupid enough to go after Wormtail that night, then Harry would not be missing.

Remus just watched his friend tear himself apart. There was nothing that he could say. He only hoped he could pull Padfoot through this.

"I can't do this Moony. I just can't do this anymore." Sirius mumbled.

"What Padfoot?"

"This is too much Moony, I can't stay here anymore. Harry was the only thing I have held onto for the last thirteen years. He was the only thing that kept me sane in the hellhole." Sirius said hopelessly.

"What are you going to do?" Remus asked, hurt a little but Sirius' words. Still, he could understand why, he was supposed to be his friend and he had done nothing to even see that he got a trial.

"I'm leaving Moony. I'm sorry, but this world has brought me nothing pain between my family, James & Lily and now Harry, maybe I can find some peace in the muggle world."

Whatever he had been expecting from Sirius it wasn't that. "You're leaving the wizarding world? What will you do? Where will you go?"

"I don't know but I can find someplace in London. It's just…I need to be somewhere that won't remind me of James, Lily and Harry all the time."

"What about me?"

"I will let you know where I will be, but you're the only one Moony. I'm not sure if I can ever forgive Dumbledore for everything that has happened. If he had pushed for a trial or taken the time to check on Harry none of this would have happened. Regardless, I will never forget that no one stood up for me."

Remus flinched and asked resignedly "When will you go?"

"As soon as I can find a place. Moony, I know it's not your fault, but I would like to be alone right now."

After Remus left, Sirius began to make his plans to leave the wizarding world. Once he had found a place to live, he would start his own search for Harry, he owed it to James and Lily.

**March 18th, 1998**

**_MacManus Apartment, Boston, MA USA_**

Turning his head, Kevin looked over to his brothers' sleeping forms and smiled sadly. It was a little less than a year since their mom died from lung cancer. She had hung on for a number of years but in the end she just wore out. Luckily both his brothers were already 18 at the time so social services didn't take him away, but that didn't stop him from missing her.

Still, he felt bad sometimes. Both of them, Connor and Murphy, had taken jobs at a meat packing plant to support the three of them. The apartment wasn't much to look at; really it wasn't more than a large studio. Their three beds took up most of the room. The remaining space was occupied by an old kitchen table. Even the bathroom wasn't fully enclosed, they had strung a curtain around it for privacy but otherwise it was not separated at all from the rest of the apartment. Despite the meager surroundings, to Kevin it was enough. By the door, hung their crosses, just like when their mom was alive. Kevin was wearing his already so only two were presently by the door.

At least he was almost done with high school but he wasn't sure what he was going to do after that. He had been accepted to a few different colleges but he wasn't sure if he was ready to leave his brothers. Honestly, he wasn't sure if his brothers were ready for him to leave either. Maybe he could go to a local college, he had gotten into Boston College but it was expenses and he would need loans.

Kevin was currently eating breakfast while his brothers Connor and Murphy slept. They had had a rough night, which is what he would have expected given that it was St. Patrick's Day, but unfortunately, they got into a fight with some local Russian mob folks. Seems they were trying to close down the local bar. Snorting into his cereal, Kevin could just imagine Connor tying one of the thugs, Ivan, onto the bar and setting his ass on fire. How come these things always happened when he wasn't there to witness it?

It wasn't fair, his brothers were only 19 but they still got to drink at the bar. Sure he was only 17 but did they really think he had never gotten drunk before? Hell, he had gotten drunk for the first time off their own stash. Of course, they made him suffer for it the next day. After all, waking up naked and locked out of the apartment was good reasons not steal from his brothers' liquor stash, not to mention the killer headache.

Connor's low mumbling caught his attention. Smirking Kevin asked loudly "What's wrong Connor, feeling a bit under the weather?"

"Ahhhh…" Connor held his head to keep it from splitting apart. At least, that is how it felt to him.

"Oh come on, maybe some food will help." Kevin offered helpfully.

Face green, Connor staggered over to the toilet and promptly threw up noisily. His head slowly raised and a baleful glare was directed at his little brother who was clapping. "Bravo, I think that was a record time for you from bed to toilet in 3.2 seconds."

"Fuck off both of you." This from Murphy who was now sitting on the edge of his bed, awake because of all the noise.

Murphy staggered to his feet, dressed in nothing but his boxers and a pair of boots. Throwing on a tattered gray robe, he was about to join Kevin at the small kitchen table, Connor not far behind him when the door to their apartment slammed open, kicked in by a tall, obese, pale white man who strangely enough seemed to have bandages wrapped around his ass.

Two more men followed him in. All three were armed with 3 large handguns. Ivan, the lead man with the bandaged ass yelled "Freeze you fucking Irish faggots!"

Ivan moved over to grab Connor, while the other two men, Vladdy and Antonin made a grab for Murphy and Kevin. Thinking quickly, Kevin grabbed a fork from the table and stabbed it into Vladdy's free hand.

Vladdy screamed in pain "You son of a bitch!" and backhanded Kevin across the temple with the butt of his gun. Kevin just grunted and collapsed bonelessly to the floor, stunned. For good measure Vladdy pulled his foot back and delivered a solid kick to Kevin's ribs, lifting him off the floor slightly.

"Ooof." Was the only sound Kevin made as the air was forced from his lungs.

"Leave him the fuck alone, he has nothing to do with this!" Murphy yelled. Antonin stepped closer and decked him across the jaw before holding a gun to his head in order to keep him quiet.

Connor was struggling against Ivan, but it was a losing battle. Ivan forced him over to the toilet, till he was on his knees and bending over the bowl when he ordered "Cuff yourself to the back!" When Connor didn't move immediately, he yelled "Cuff yourself now!" Moving slowly, Connor cuffed his wrists behind the base of the toilet so he was trapped.

In a soft menacing voice, Ivan said "You know why I fucking come here?"

Connor refused to answer, only turning his head so that he can keep an eye on his brothers. Murphy was standing but Kevin was still on the floor, blood running from his temple but he was awake.

"I come here to kill you. Now, now I no think I will kill you. Instead I will kill your brothers, shoot them in the head." He said in broken English with a cold, mirthless laugh.

Connor couldn't take it. He began thrashing around, struggling to pull his wrists free from the handcuffs. His wrists were burning where the metal cut into his skin. "Fuck you! It was just a stupid bar fight, you guys are fucking pussies!"

Ivan just laughed at Connor and said "Take them to the alley."

_**Out in the Alley**_

Ivan just laughed and told his men to bring Kevin and Murphy. Kevin staggered out under the watchful eye of Vladdy and Murphy was followed by Antonin. Ivan led the strange group out to the alley behind the apartment building. Kevin and Murphy were forced to their knees in the middle of the alley, facing their building. Vladdy and Antonin standing behind each brother while Ivan stood in front of them.

Murphy was pleading with Ivan. "Come on let Kevin go. He had nothing to do with this."

Ivan just grinned at him. "That is what will give me so much pleasure in shooting him first."

Kevin was scared shitless so he did the only thing he could and spit at the man before yelling "You fucking Russian bastard! My brother should have killed you when he had the chance."

"Little boy, I hope you have a clear conscience."

Behind him, Kevin could hear one of the men chamber a bullet into the gun. Figuring he was going to die anyway, adrenalin pumping in his veins he surged to his feet and rammed Ivan in the crotch with his shoulder. At the same time, Vladdy fired. The shot echoed off the walls of the alley. Kevin felt searing pain shoot through his right shoulder and he was spun around by the force of the bullet and collapsed to the street.

Ivan staggered back and was crouched over moaning while grabbing his crotch.

Vladdy moved next to Ivan and was getting ready to shoot Kevin again. Antonin continued to hold his gun on Murphy smirking at Ivan.

_**Meanwhile Back in the Apartment**_

As soon as they left the apartment, Connor started screaming in frustration and he pulled harder and harder at the handcuffs. Blood was running freely down both wrists but he ignored the pain and began rocking the toilet back and forth in an effort to tear it loose. In a miracle fueled by fear, panic, and adrenalin, Connor screamed again and ripped the toilet away from the floor.

Water poured over the floor from the broken pipe as Connor staggered to his feet still holding the toilet. He knew that with his hands still cuffed, he wouldn't be able to help his brothers. A crazy and more than a little desperate grin formed on his face. He began stalking out of the apartment and climbing the stairs to the roof with the toilet still in his hands.

Veins standing out on his arms, sweat breaking out on his brow from the strain, Connor climbed the last flight of stairs to the roof of the 3 story building. Muscles burning, Connor made his way to the edge of the building facing the alley. Thanking god the entire way that the fucking Russian was stupid enough to announce where he was going to kill his brothers.

Propping the toilet on the raised edge of the roof, Connor looked over and saw his brothers kneeling in the alley. Ivan was closest to him and the other two were standing behind Kevin and Murphy. Groaning softly in annoyance, he maneuvered the toilet so he was lined up with Ivan.

His heart almost stopped when he saw Kevin slam into Ivan only to get shot by Vladdy. Fearing the worst when he saw Kevin collapse to the street, he pushed the toilet over the edge. Tumbling over the edge, the porcelain lid separated from the toilet. Connor in a fit on insanity, leaped over the edge, aiming for the man standing behind Murphy.

Neither Ivan nor Vladdy ever knew what hit them. Ivan was smashed to the ground when the main body of the toilet shattered on his back, pulverizing his upper spine and ribs. Vladdy was only slightly luckier. The porcelain lid glanced off the crown of his head bringing him to his knees.

Murphy dove to the side when he saw Connor jump. Antonin was still processing what he was seeing when Connor fell onto him. Antonin's gun went off in his surprise, the bullet went ricocheting off the alley wall as he sank to street, and Connor careened off him onto a pile of garbage bags unconscious.

Seeing his chance, Murphy jumped to his feet and kicked Antonin in the face twice, snapping the man's head back. The second kick pushed the nose cartilage into his brain killing him. Before he could check on either Kevin or Connor, he picked up remains of the toilet lid and swung it over Vladdy's head. Vladdy collapsed face forward, his skull cracked and bleeding freely.

Grabbing a bag, Murphy snagged the three guns and any cash on the three men. He moved over to Kevin next, urging "Fuck, Kevin you've got to get up." His brother was still on the street, the puddle of blood around him slowly growing.

Kevin was barely aware of his surroundings but with Murphy's help he was able to stand up. With Kevin leaning heavily against him, he guided him over to Conner and wrapped his free arm around Connor's waist and lifted him into a fireman's carry. Amazingly, he was able to get both his brothers to the hospital 3 blocks away.

Connor was beginning to wake up when they made it into the Emergency Room. Murphy just dropped him into a chair and went to the front desk and lowering Kevin into the seat next to Connor. With a quick glance back at Kevin who was leaning back in the chair, Murphy virtually dragged a doctor over to his brother.

The doctor ordered Kevin taken into an available trauma room immediately after nothing more than a cursory glance. As he was leaving he said "Have you called the police yet? By law we will have to notify them of all gunshot wounds."

"No not yet, is there a pay phone around here?" After being directed to a phone, Murphy moved away to make a call. A quick call to Doc, a long time friend of their family, had the man on his way with some clothes for him and Connor.

While he was making the call to Doc, another doctor had come to check on Connor's condition. Nothing left to do, Murphy sat down to wait. Thankfully Doc arrived quickly and he was able to change into some jeans and a black t-shirt. Doc even brought both his and Connor's cross. Kissing it reverently, he put it on and tucked it into his shirt and settled down to wait once more.

"Doc can you hold onto this for us?" He asked abruptly, handing Doc the bag with the guns and money from the Russians.

"Sure, after you saved my bar last night, there isn't much I wouldn't do for you boys."

Finally, after close to an hour Murphy approached the nurse manning the front desk to see if she had any information on his brothers. "Ma'am, is there any news on my brothers Kevin or Connor MacManus?"

The nurse never bothered to even look up. She just answered with a patented response "The doctors will call for you once they know something."

"Fuck!" He whispered harshly. This waiting was driving him mad.

After another half hour, Doc left, he needed to get back to open the bar. On his way out, he told Murphy he would hold the bag for them. It wasn't much after that, that Connor walked out of one of the trauma rooms, now dressed in a pair of hospital scrubs. He looked ok to Murphy other than the fact that his wrists were heavily bandaged. "Fuck Connor, are you ok?" Not waiting for an answer, he grabbed his brother in a tight hug.

"Yeah, I'm ok. The doc gave me something for the pain and patched up my wrists. They were pretty fucked up from those fuckin' handcuffs. Is there any word of Kevin?" Connor's face was screwed up worry.

Not long after Connor sat down, a doctor came into the waiting area calling for them. "Are you related to Kevin MacManus?"

"Yes, we're his brothers. How is he?"

"Your brother is very lucky. The gunshot was a through and through and did not strike any major arteries. We were able to visualize the wound and are confident that there is no internal damage. His collar bone is broken and two of his ribs are cracked. Other than that he should be fine. We would like to keep him overnight for observation but barring any problems, he can go home tomorrow."

Both Connor and Murphy sagged with relief. "Can we see him?"

"Of course, he is pretty groggy right now from the morphine we gave him. He is being brought up to the 3rd floor so you can see him there." The doctor paused for a moment before continuing "I'm not sure if anyone told you, but we had to notify the police of his injury. I expect that they will meet you up at his room shortly."

Murphy just nodded. "Come one Connor, let's get up there. Oh and I had Doc bring clothes for you."

After getting directions from the doctor, the two went up to the third floor to see Kevin. They walked down the sterile corridor looking for his room. It was near the end of the hallway and a pair of elderly nurses was leaving just as they reached the doorway.

The older nurse with long brownish grey hair pulled back in a severe looking bun and wearing small spectacles said "You can go in. He's resting now and will probably be pretty groggy for the next couple of hours."

The room was small but clearly it was a private room. Spying a bathroom, Connor moved off to change clothes. Murphy pulled up a chair and sat by Kevin's side. Seeing him lying there peacefully, a tension lifted that he had not realized was there. Murphy took a moment to really look at his brother; he was pale and had some cuts and scrapes on his head from falling on the pavement. Add to that his arm was being held in a sling to reduce movement in his shoulder and compression bandages were wrapped around his chest to stabilize his ribs. He said a quick prayer of thanks to god that somehow the three of them had made it out of that mess alive.

He was startled from his observation when he heard the bathroom door open. Connor walked out, now dressed in a pair of old blue jeans and a black short-sleeve t-shirt. Like Murphy he pulled the only other chair in the room up to the side of Kevin's bed so that he and Murphy were sitting across from each other. Needing reassurance that Kevin was ok, Connor gently brushed his hand through Kevin's messy black hair, exposing the old lightning bolt shaped scar. "We really fucked up this time."

"Aye, if mom were alive we would be in this place with Kevin right now and I doubt we'd be going home any time soon." Murphy said with a wry smile.

"Oh lord, we better live for a long time because you know she is going to kick our asses when we see her again."

"You were pretty out of it while Doc was here, but I gave him the cash and guns I snagged from those Russians. Do you think we should tell the cops?"

"Nah…let them think a bum rolled them after you got us out of there. You know they're going to want to talk to Kevin." Reaching over to a small pitcher of water that was on the dresser by the bed, Connor poured himself a glass and took a sip before going on. "What the fuck was he thinking charging Ivan like that, I just about died when he was shot."

Murphy flat out grinned and patted Kevin's arm proudly. "Our little brother is a scrapper; did you see what he did in the apartment?" When Connor shook his head, Murphy explained "He stabbed one of them in the hand with a fork."

Connor snickered and in a fierce voice said "I bet he loved that. Those fat fucks deserved everything they got!"

Murphy laughed loudly, forgetting the stress of the morning for a moment. "What about you, jumping off the roof of the building like you were fucking Superman or something?"

"Hey, it saved your ass didn't it?" He replied indignantly.

The boys lapsed into silence and just sat back thinking about the events of the morning. Despite his jokes, Murphy had been terrified not so much for himself but for his brothers. Movement caught his attention; Connor's head was sagging down whatever they had given him must be knocking him for a loop now. Soon enough, he found his own eyes growing heavy. He slouched back in his chair; maybe a nap wouldn't be bad.

Connor and Murphy jerked awake when two uniformed police officers knocked on the door. Blushing, Connor wiped some drool off his mouth before standing up. A quick glance at Kevin assured him that he was still asleep. "Officers, what can we do for you?"

"We need to know how your brother was shot?" The lead officer asked with no other preamble, a man with short black hair and a closely trimmed beard.

Connor explained how the three Russians broke into their apartment that morning and held them hostage. The police asked more questions, getting details of what happened and where. They hadn't had any reports of gunfire but in this neighborhood, that wasn't really a surprise. Satisfied for now with the brothers' story the lead officer said "I expect to see your brother down at the station to make a statement when he gets out of here." He knew they didn't have the full story, but until they had some evidence to the contrary, he would take the boys at their word.

Nodding their heads, neither Connor nor Murphy said anything as the cops walked out. With the cops gone, the brothers settled back down to continue their vigil, waiting for Kevin to wake up.

A soft moan came from the bed, attracting their attention. Connor, ran his hand through Kevin's hair again as he said "Come on, Kevin open your eyes. Murphy has been worried sick about you." A smirk was sent in Murphy's direction as he finished.

Growling good naturedly Murphy "Yeah without you around, I haven't had any intelligent conversation. So do me a favor buddy and wake up."

Kevin's eyes slowly fluttered open. His bright green eyes were still somewhat glazed but they started to clear after a few minutes. Another moan, louder this time, issued from him when he tried to move. Even with the morphine, his shoulder and ribs were still aching. "What the fuck hit me?" He asked muzzily.

Murphy gave him the short version of the events that he had missed. He didn't fail to notice the concerned glance that was sent in Connor's direction when Kevin learned what he had done.

Connor just held up both arms to show his wrists. "Nothing to worry about here, once they cut the cuffs off and bandaged me up I was as good as new. Still a little sore but that's it."

Kevin just nodded with a slight smile of relief and let his eyes slip closed again. As he was falling asleep he heard Murphy say softly "Just sleep Kevin, we won't let anything happen to you." Knowing that his brothers were safe and with him, Kevin sank into a peaceful sleep, letting the drugs wash away most of his pain.

**March 19th, 1998**

**_Police Station, Boston, MA USA_**

Kevin was released from the hospital in the mid afternoon with instructions to take it easy for the few weeks and to leave his arm in a sling for the next 3 – 4 weeks. He was a little unsteady on his feet, but after talking it over with Connor and Murphy, the three of them felt it would be best to go the police station and get the interview over with.

The desk sergeant on duty took their names and had the three escorted back to the homicide division. The officer opened the door, inside there were a group of 4 detectives sitting around at various desks listening to some guy dressed in a suit reaming the cops for leaking the story of the Russian mobsters to the newspapers. Despite having talked to the brothers, the cops apparently expected them to be runners. One detective went so far as to suggest that putting a potato on a string and dragging it through the streets would have a better chance of attracting the brothers than anything else.

Murphy smirked, standing at the doorway. Their escort shaking his head at the detective's idiocy. "You'd probably have better luck with beer." Even Kevin had to nod at that one.

The detective just groaned and dropped his head into his hands. The man in the suit introduced himself as Special Agent Paul Smecker from the FBI Organized Crime division. Smecker took charge and directed the brothers into a conference room where he could question them without an audience. The room only had a small table with two chairs and a tape recorder. Smecker asked for two more chairs to be brought in.

Kevin, who had broken out into a light sweat from the pain in his shoulder and ribs, took a seat without saying anything. Smecker didn't miss the concerned glances that Connor and Murphy shot at Kevin. "Can I get you anything to drink?"

"Just water, thanks." Kevin said gratefully.

While Smecker was getting Kevin a glass of water, one of the detectives brought in two more chairs.

"Now before we begin, you are not being charged with anything and this is all off the record." Smecker said.

"So, why don't you tell me what started this."

Kevin was silent since he was clearly too young to have been at the bar, even with a fake ID. While Connor and Murphy were underage, they were close enough to get in without a problem. Connor described the fight at the bar after the three Russians showed up trying to shut it down. Smecker laughed when Connor described lighting Ivan's ass on fire after tying him to the bar.

"And everyone left after the bar closed? The Russians were still alive at that point?"

"Aye, we left them in the alley."

Turning to Kevin Smecker asked "If you weren't with your brothers, then how did you get shot?"

Kevin's hand was shaking a little when he reached out to get another drink of water. It was hard to tell whether yesterday's events were catching up to him emotionally or whether it was the pain of his injuries. "They showed up at our apartment yesterday morning." Kevin described everything that happened in the apartment, including stabbing one of the Russians in the hand with a fork.

Smecker smiled and wrote some notes in a small spiral notepad, correlating aspects of Kevin's story with the evidence found in the alley. Based on his initial assessment, he was inclined to believe their story and he had to admit, Kevin impressed him a little too. Not too many people would stab someone with a fork or charge someone holding a gun on them.

Before he could ask any more questions, the door opened and a uniformed officer by the name of Chaffey stepped in. "Sir, the press is outside and they asking to speak to the MacManus brothers."

Smecker turned his attention back to the brothers "Well, do you want to speak with the press?"

Murphy said "No fucking way. Is there any way we could stay here for the night?"

Chaffey perked up and answered enthusiastically "Oh yeah, we have an extra holding cell you guys could …" He trailed off looking at Smecker "Ummm, can they stay here?"

Smecker just gave him a shit-eating grin "Well, we'll have to check with your mom…but it's ok with me if your friends want to sleep over." Smecker stood and put his suit coat back; turning back he said "I'm off to feed the dogs."

Chaffey led the brothers to the detention cell. It was fairly large, containing four cots, but like so much in this part of Boston, it had seen better days. The ceiling had large cracks in the masonry and the walls were covered in old graffiti.

Outside the police station, Agent Smecker was standing with the station Lieutenant who was making a statement "The MacManus brothers are not being charged with a crime. This is a clear cut case of self-defense. They are being released at an undisclosed time and location in accordance with their wishes."

The press asked some questions regarding the brother's criminal history but was not given any real information.

Talking it over briefly, the brothers decided to spend the night in the detention cell. They figured, it would be easier to avoid any attention from the press if they waited until the next day to leave. During the afternoon, deep dark clouds rolled. By early evening, the rain was coming down in sheets and was accompanied by bright flashes of lightning and rumbles of thunder.

Kevin, Connor, and Murphy were asleep while the storm continued to rage. Rain water was dripping on the floor from the cracks in the ceiling, but the noise failed to wake them. Rather, they were caught in the midst of a shared dream or vision. They could hear the voice of their parish priest describing the rape and murder of young girl years ago. People had watched as the killer simply walked away. The priest railed against the indifference of good men and said it was tantamount to allowing evil to prosper.

When the story and message were delivered, the priest's voice faded away. It was replaced by something the brother's had never seen before. They were in front of a cathedral. Marble columns and floors along with stained glass were the dominant features of the cathedral. In front of the altar, stood a tall figure with six large white wings surrounding by a soft white aura.

On instinct, all three knelt reverently before the figure with their heads bowed. Nothing was said, it was not their place to say anything at this time.

The archangel smiled sadly. It was not an easy task he was laying before them, but together they would see it through, he had no doubts of that. "Do you know who I am?"

When he got no response, he continued "I am Uriel. You have been given a task by the Lord. He asks you to fight against the indifference of good men. In the absence of their actions, we need you to take actions on those who have passed beyond redemption."

Connor swallowed nervously "You want us to judge who is worthy?"

A soft laugh echoed off the walls like exquisite music. "No, you have been gifted with the Sight. It will let you know who has been marked."

Connor once again screwed up his courage. He didn't want to do this but if it was God's will, he would obey. "Is it not wrong to kill?"

"Yes my child, it is wrong to kill. In this instance however, you have been marked as instruments of God's will and he has tasked me with the job of insuring that retribution is delivered. Know that you will never be alone in this, I will always be with you."

The Archangel went on to describe what they were to do and how they would know who was deserving of retribution. Before the vision faded, Uriel gave them each his blessing.

The storm passed during the night and in the morning and bright sunlight was streaming in through the barred window in the cell. As one, they woke up and the looks of awe and fear were mirrored on each of their faces. With nothing more than glances, the brothers confirmed that they each had the same vision.

Kevin had just opened his mouth when Connor cut him off saying "Not here."

"Ok"

"How are you feeling Kevin?" Murphy asked after pulling his t-shirt on.

"It's not too bad. I'll just be happy when I can get rid of this sling. Can you open this for me?" He asked after tossing his prescription to Connor.

Connor opened the bottle and handed 2 pills to Kevin. After swallowing them, he blushed. "Umm, I have been thinking about doing something for a while now and uhh after last night, I want to do it more."

Surprised to see Kevin blushing for no apparent reason "What is it you want to do?"

"Well, you see, I know you and Murphy were younger when you did it but…" Kevin was beet red now.

Murphy was grinning and sitting on the edge of his cot. It wasn't often that his little brother was so flustered. This was too good of an opportunity to pass up. "I know you've already had sex so it isn't that."

Connor's head shot up. "Wait, hold up there. Our little Kevin is a man? Why didn't you tell me he did the deed Murphy? Who was she? Was it that chick from across the hall, she's older but a little experience is never a bad thing?"

If any more blood rushed to Kevin's face, it looked like it would pop. He fell back onto the cot and covered his face as he screamed.

Connor took pity on his said "Ok, so what do you want to do?"

Kevin just looked at him suspecting the worst. "I want to get a tattoo. You have Veritas and Murphy has Aequitas. I wanted to get Iracundia across the top of my right hand."

Connor scowled but said "We can't really stop you, since you are over 16. Why now?"

Kevin started blushing again. "Umm, you both talked about how much it hurt so I thought because I'm on pain medication…"

Neither Connor nor Murphy could resist the puppy dog eyes that he was sending their way. With a groan, Connor said "Aye, we can stop on the way back to the apartment. Don't think you're getting away without details Kev…" An evil leer spread across his face "I want names, dates, and all the pertinent information that is of course if you want us to pay for your tattoo."

**March 23rd, 1998**

_**Boston, MA USA**_

Kevin, Connor, and Murphy were headed to a contact they had heard about at the bar. Since that night at the police station, they had decided they needed to prepare for their mission. To that end, the guy they were going to see was supposed to be the best for source for black market arms.

A quick bus trip was followed by a 4 block walk. Going inside, Murphy handed over the 3 handguns and most of the cash that had been scavenged from the Russian's bodies. The guy behind the counter didn't say a thing. He just flipped the 'Open' sign to 'Closed and led them to a back room. Their eyes bugged out when they got a good look. The walls were covered with different handguns, assault rifles, shotguns, even turret mounted machine guns.

The guy eyed them and counted the money again. The only thing he said was '5 minutes.'

When they had gotten his name, they were told that for $5,000 grand they would be given 5 minutes to take whatever they wanted. So, that's what they did. Handguns, silencers, ammo, even some body armor found its way into their bags. Near the end of the 5 minutes, Connor and Murphy were arguing about the value of rope and harnesses.

Connor said "Do you know what we need? Some rope."

Murphy just snorted. "Oh absolutely, what are you insane?"

"No, I'm not. Charles Bronson always had rope." Connor argued.

Both Kevin and Murphy looked at him strangely and in unison said "What?"

"Yeah, He's got a lot of rope strapped around him in the movies, and they always end up using it."

Shaking his head in mock despair, Kevin said "You've really lost it, haven't you?"

Murphy added "That's just stupid, name one thing you'd need rope for?"

"You don't fucking know what you're gonna need it for, that's why you always need it." As if that explained everything.

"This isn't a movie." Kevin said.

"Yeah, sure it isn't." Connor reached into Murphy's bag and pulled out two Marine K-Bar knives. "Should I start calling you two Rambo now?"

Murphy gave in. "All right, get your stupid fucking rope."

After that, they packed their acquisitions away in the bags and left the pawn shop. Not comfortable taking the bus or a cab with all of their stuff, they walked the 2 miles back to their apartment. About halfway there, Connor grabbed Kevin's bag and slung it over his should when it became obvious that Kevin was in pain. Nothing was said, it was just something he did to help him out, but it highlighted an issue that Kevin was struggling with.

It was obvious to everyone that Kevin passed on the street that he was pissed about something. The closer they got to their apartment, the angrier he was getting. Connor and Murphy shared a look, they were following Kevin and despite the fact that he was wearing a navy style pea coat, it was obvious he was tense.

Once they were in the apartment, Connor had had enough of Kevin's temper tantrum. It had been going on all day. By the look in his eye, Kevin was about to say something and Connor wasn't going to have it. "Kevin sit down and shut the fuck up!" He said angrily.

It was his tone more than anything that shocked Kevin. Connor just went on. "You can't walk 2 miles right now without being in pain. Do you honestly think you could do this tomorrow without getting killed?"

Kevin wanted to argue, he really did. But he knew Connor was right. All he could do was hang his head and shake it sadly.

"We're not trying to keep you out of this. You were chosen just like Murph and I were. This time though, you just aren't up to it. Next time, and you know there will be a next time, you will be there."

Kevin raised his head, his eyes were watery. "It's just …what if something happens to you? With mom gone, you guys are my only family."

Connor moved over and sat next to him. He gently wrapped him in a light hug, careful not to jar his shoulder or ribs. "I can't make you any promises, but we will do everything in our power to come back."

The tension in the room was still palpable though it had lightened some. So Murphy added "Yeah, Kev if we don't come back, how is Connor going to learn all the details of your conquests?"

"Don't think I have forgotten about our little deal. You got your tattoo yesterday so when we are done with this mission, we are going to have a nice little fact finding session."

"Oh god, maybe I don't want you to make it back after all." Kevin groaned.

**March 26th, 1998**

_**Boston, MA USA**_

_**Police Mystified by Mafia Slayings**_

_**By**_

_**Charles Lassiter**_

_Yesterday, the leadership of the Russian Mafia suspected to be in control of South Boston was found dead in the Conroy Hotel. 9 men were present. Piotr Stephanov, rumored to be the boss in South Boston was numbered among the dead. According to police sources he was killed by two shots to the back of the head. Strangely, each of the bodies was placed flat on the ground after death with a coin placed over each eye._

_Witnesses familiar with the crime scene are calling it the work of saints, building on the religious symbolism of the coins with the dead bodies. Coins used to be left on the eyes of the dead to pay the boatman to ferry the dead to the Gates of Judgment. _

_The police are looking for two men that were seen leaving the scene by hotel staff. FBI Special Agent Smecker does not think that the deaths are a result of conflict with a rival family. If these deaths do not represent the beginning of a major mob war, then what is the motivation behind the deaths? Are these Saints of South Boston heroes for making the streets of Boston safer for its law abiding citizens or are they vigilantes that are no better than the criminals found dead? _

**March 31st, 1998**

_**Boston, MA USA**_

_**Saints of South Boston Strike Again**_

_**By**_

_**Charles Lassiter**_

_Have the Saints of South Boston struck again? Last night, 4 dead men were found at the Cherry Bomb strip club. Each man was in a private booth and yet the stripper, whose name is being withheld, was left unharmed. Like the previous deaths, coins were placed on each of the dead men's eyes. While it is possible that this is a copy cat killing, Agent Smecker is confident that the killers are the same based upon the gunshot wounds._

_Unlike the previous killings, the target of last night's murders was not a member of the Russian Mafia. Vincenzo Lipazzi, a suspected lieutenant for the Yakavetta family was found dead at the scene. The other three bodies are known associates of Lipazzi and are said to frequent the Cherry Bomb regularly._

_The assailants were caught on camera exiting the building. Three men, dressed in black and wearing masks were seen leaving the building on foot. Little is known about the suspects other than their height and build. Each man was of average build and approximately 5'10 – 6'0 in height. Because the suspects were wearing masks and gloves, the police have little else to go on._

_Where will the Saints strike next?_

**April 18th, 1998**

_**Boston, MA USA**_

**_Death Toll Rises as the Saints' Rampage Continues_**

_**By**_

_**Charles Lassiter**_

_Police were called to scene of another possible slaying by the Saints. Neighbors reported hearing a fight in the predawn hours at a construction site. Five bodies were found scattered around the construction site. As with the previous deaths, the bodies were left with coins on their eyes._

_Again, the Saints appear to have broadened their reach. The previous deaths were all associated in some way to the Russian or Italian Mafia. The bodies found at the construction site were well known members of a local gang. The gang has been under investigation in the past year for drugs, prostitution, and gun running but few members have been successfully prosecuted._

_Agent Smecker has called on the public to provide any information they have on the Saints to the police. Efforts to capture the men have been met with little success. Little if any physical evidence has been left behind at the scenes and police have had difficulty getting cooperation from those living in the neighborhoods._

**May 1st, 1998**

**_Putney, London, UK_**

Since Sirius Black left the wizarding world behind him, he had split his time between searching for signs of Harry and his job. To his eternal shame, he ended up teaching history for King's College London part of the University of London. It had always been one of his favorite courses at Hogwarts. For a while he had contemplated joining the police force but ultimately, he didn't want to fight anymore, it had cost him too much already.

Early on in his search, he had had some hope of success. After spending close to a month in Dublin, he was able to find a police officer that remembered a woman bringing in an abandoned baby around the right time period. Unfortunately, the woman had moved to the US and no one could remember her name. Frustration had run pretty high at that point because he didn't even have a name to work with. It hurt to think that his godson didn't even know his real name. The only thing he could hope for is that he was happy.

Today, he was sitting in the kitchen of his two bedroom flat drinking coffee, a piece of toast sitting on the plate in front of him. In his hand was the latest edition of the Daily Prophet, the front page was covered by a headline proclaiming Voldemort's return. He had been staring at it for the last 20 minutes contemplating whether he should return or not.

Mechanically, he took a sip of coffee, ignoring the fact that it was now cold. Things must be bad if the Ministry was actually admitting his return, that or the knowledge was already so widespread; there was no way to cover it up. Apparently two 7th year students had been kidnapped from Hogwarts. The boy, Terry Boot had managed to escape but not before they had killed his girlfriend Hannah Abbott. Terry had witnessed Voldemort's return and while the Death Eaters were celebrating, he managed to escape and run far enough to apparate away.

With a shake of his head, he got up and cleaned the coffee cup and placed the Sdish in the sink. He had to get to work so he would make a decision later. Luckily, he was busy most of the day between teaching and grading papers so he didn't have to think about the upcoming war. As soon as the last bell rang and he wrapped up his work for the day, he couldn't avoid it any longer. Tired, he flagged a cab rather than take the tube.

It was a short ride, traffic was light and like all cabbies, the driver seemed to know all the shortcuts. After handing the cabby a couple of bills he got out and walked up to his flat. Standing by his front door, he smelled something good coming from inside. It should have been obvious that he would have a visitor tonight and because he had placed some pretty heavy wards to keep people away, there was only one person it could be.

His key slid into the lock and turned smoothly with a soft click. The heavy wood door swung open and Sirius walked in, putting his bag and keys on the side table. "Moony what are you cooking?"

"Steak, mashed potatoes, and fresh bread, it should be ready in the next half hour." He called out.

Sirius wandered into the kitchen and pulled out a chair. He sank into it with a sigh after grabbing a beer from the refrigerator. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?"

Remus grabbed a beer as well and sat on the counter. "I think you know why I am here Padfoot."

"Let me guess, Dumbledore is pulling together the old crowd."

This was going to be an uphill battle. Dumbledore seemed to feel that Sirius would jump at the chance to come back now that Voldemort had returned. Remus thought he was delusional, if anything, Sirius would be less likely than ever to come back now. "Got it in one Padfoot."

"As much as I appreciate the dinner, it isn't going to happen. Dumbledore had his chances with me, I won't give him anymore." It still bothered Sirius that he had been left to rot in Azkaban without a trial, Dumbledore as head of the Wizengamot could have pushed for a trial. Instead, the bastard ignored the laws and left him. While Sirius may be willing to overlook that, he would never forgive the man for essentially abandoning Harry.

"This is about more than just you Padfoot. You know what Voldemort's return means. We need everyone if we are going to have any chance."

He shook his head stubbornly. "No, I did my part. It's time for someone else to fight now."

"You don't have to fight. Dumbledore is going to send out search parties for Harry again." Remus argued.

"Please tell me you are not helping him with that Moony?" Sirius said a desperate tone in his voice.

Everything about Remus showed he was confused by that question. "Of course I am why wouldn't I? I want Harry back as much as you do."

"Nice Moony. Let's bring Harry back and thrust him into the war against Voldemort. If you really cared about him, you would do everything in your power to make sure he is never found!"

"But we need him to fight Voldemort."

"Why is he needed? I know he is a symbol but he did his part for the war. He gave the wizarding world almost 17 years of peace. Don't you think that is enough?"

"Dumbledore says there is a prophecy regarding Harry and Voldemort." Remus tensed, waiting for the inevitable explosion from his friend but it never came.

His face just shut down for a moment before it was replaced with a look of pure disgust. The hand holding the beer bottle was almost white because he was gripping it so tightly. "And? I'm glad to see you are willing to use Harry as a weapon against Voldemort. Tell me, where have the search parties been before Voldemort's return? More importantly what will you do if Harry doesn't want to come back?"

Remus fell back against the wall as the questions hit him. He wanted to ignore the implications of what Sirius said. Instead it was easier to latch onto his last question. "Why wouldn't he want to come back? This is where he belongs."

Sirius snorted into the bottle. "Oh I don't know maybe because he is happy wherever he is. He was adopted and probably has a family that he has spent the last 17 years with. So you tell me, what happens if he doesn't want to come back?"

Remus fell silent. "But he is needed here." He said is a soft pleading voice.

"Ahh, so now not only is he your weapon against Voldemort because of some mysterious prophecy but it doesn't matter if he is happy where he is. Remus you have been my friend since our first year at Hogwarts. If you play any role in bringing Harry back to London to fight Voldemort, I will never speak to you again. Somehow I doubt James and Lily would be very happy with you either." His bottle of beer having long since been emptied was thrown into the garbage can. "I think it would be best if you left now, you have some things to think over."

"Padfoot…I…" Remus didn't know what to say. Finally, his shoulders slumped in defeat.

Before Remus could leave, Sirius had one more parting shot. "You might want to give some thought to which side you are really fighting on. Are you sure you are really in the right if you are willing to tear someone away from the only life they have known to take care of a problem that everyone else is afraid to deal with?"

Sirius grabbed another beer and stretched out on the couch. The food cooking had long been forgotten. Harry wherever you are, be careful. You don't deserve to be thrown into the middle of this. If there is anything in my power that I can do to help you Harry, I swear I will do it.

**May 11th, 1998**

**_Boston, MA USA_**

_**Public Reaction to the Saints of South Boston is Mixed**_

_**By**_

_**Charles Lassiter**_

_The Saints of South Boston are suspected to be involved in the killing of 23 men. The police continue to be stymied by the lack of evidence present at each crime scene. Despite the number of deaths, public opinion of the Saints remains mixed._

_Raymond March says "The Saints are heroes man. For the first time, I feel safe, it is about time someone started hitting back. The police sure aren't getting the job done." _

_Raymond is not alone in his opinion. Many others share similar feelings about the Saints, praising their actions. One woman, Elizabeth Boaler went so far as to say "Every city needs someone like the Saints. I mean why should we let the criminals intimidate us? I just wish I was brave enough to do the same thing."_

_Certainly it is true that many are in support of the Saints, but there are others that are equally opposed to them. To many, the Saints are no different than the criminals that they are suspected to have killed. A mother of three, Emily March had this to say. "It is one step above mob rule. Who's to say that the people killed by the Saints are guilty of anything?"_

_Many of the people killed by the Saints are rumored to be criminals but have never been convicted of a crime. Whether that is because they are truly innocent of any wrong doing or it is because they have manipulated the system is something that remains unknown._

**May 15th, 1998**

**_MacManus Apartment, Boston, MA USA_**

Connor was sitting in the apartment with Kevin. It had been over two weeks since they had gotten a sign from Archangel Uriel. Kevin wasn't complaining, he was finishing up his senior year in high school and though he wasn't going to college, he knew he mom would be disappointed in him if he didn't finish. He had yet to share his decision regarding college with his brothers, afraid of their reaction. So while Connor was sitting cleaning one of his Berettas, Kevin was working on an essay for his American History class.

Murphy wasn't home. He had left earlier to get groceries and other supplies. The casual observer would not have noticed any major differences in the MacManus' living conditions, but there had been an upside to the path that had been laid before them. Most of their targets were rich and had reason to hide their true wealth from the government. Consequently, a little scavenging always turned up a good deal of cash that somehow found its way into their hands.

Most of the cash went unspent. It was being saved for emergencies but it was used to supplement their income. In previous years, Kevin's clothes had been a little threadbare but now he wore new clothes. The amount of food they bought had increased and while Kevin had never been hungry, Connor and Murphy would eat less to make sure their little brother had enough. That was no longer necessary. On a more practical note, they also used the money to buy fake passports in case they ever needed to get away quickly.

"Connor do you ever feel guilty about what we are doing?" Kevin asked tentatively, his head down almost afraid to see Connor's reaction. Of his two older brothers, Connor was the more religious of the three but at the same time he was more cautious as well.

Connor didn't even take time to think before answering. "Yes I do. What we are doing seems wrong to me and if we hadn't shared that vision I don't think I would be doing it."

"Do…Do you think mom would be proud of what we are doing?"

"I like to think she would but each night I pray that she understands and I pray for God's forgiveness. What's the problem Kev?" Worry lacing his voice.

"It's just…I don't know…At school, all the kids talk about is the Saints of South Boston."

"And what do they say?"

"They're the same as the paper; some are all for supporting us and wished we killed more people. The others say that we are no better than the criminals that we have killed." His voice trailed off, and hitched a little. "What if they're right?"

Connor moved over and knelt by Kevin. "Kev look at me." Reluctantly Kevin turned watery eyes to Connor.

"Kev as long as you feel that way, you are nothing like the people that have died. Do you think they feel guilty when some bystander is caught in the crossfire?"

Kevin didn't say anything; he just shook his head slightly.

"You can't listen to what the other people are saying Kev, whether they support us or not. We have to remember that we are not choosing these people; we don't just gun down any criminal off the street. The only ones we have hurt are those that have been marked."

"I know, it's just hard sometimes but I don't ever want to get used to it you know? I think that would be worse."

Connor just nodded and gave Kevin a tight hug, letting his brother release some of his emotions.

Kevin asked softly "You won't tell Murphy I cried will you? He seems so sure of what we are doing I don't want him to think I'm weak."

As much as Connor wanted to joke around to lighten the atmosphere, he didn't think Kev would appreciate it yet. "Kev, I don't think Murph would ever think you're weak and I know for a fact that he has the same doubts and guilt that we do. But, I won't tell him."

"Can I pray with you tonight? It's been a while since we have done that."

A warm glow blossomed in Connor's heart. There were different aspects of their lives that each brother shared. For a long time now, faith had been something particularly strong connecting Kevin and Connor. Murphy had faith as well, but this had become something special that Kevin and Connor shared since they were little. "I'd like that, it's been too long."

**August 1st, 1998**

**_Putney, London, UK_**

Sirius rolled over in bed, pulling the sheet over his head trying to block out some of the sun that was streaming through the window. His head was throbbing painfully and his mouth was dry. It was times like these that he was grateful to be a wizard. Slowly dragging himself out of bed, he shuffled to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. Reaching in, he grabbed a vial of thick grey potion and downed it in one swallow. Thank god for hangover potions he thought as his headache started to recede.

Sirius spent a few minutes moving around the small kitchen preparing coffee while at the same time debating if he should just go back to bed. His bleary eyes peered at the wall clock for a long moment before the time finally sank into his sleep deprived brain. It was already 11:30 in the morning, too late to go back to bed.

Coffee was poured as soon as it was done brewing. Sitting slumped over the kitchen table with the coffee mug cradled before him; Sirius inhaled the familiar aroma of fresh brewed coffee. A lone tear worked its way down his face. This had become a habit for him, every year on Harry's birthday, he got drunk trying to forget about how he had failed James, Lily and Harry so badly. Every year, he made a wish to find word of Harry. As much as he wanted to be a part of Harry's life, he really just needed to know that Harry was happy and loved.

The plain mug was drained of its contents and Sirius was preparing to rinse it out in the sink when someone knocked at his door. "Coming." Before heading to the door, he pulled on a robe and tied it shut. A quick look through the peephole and Sirius was regretting the fact that he woke up this morning.

The lock turned easily and the door swung open. "Albus, what can I do for you?" Not bothering to acknowledge Remus, he just turned and went and sat down in a chair in his main room.

Remus' face fell, it hurt to have Sirius ignore him. His wolf was snarling, trying to get out to reunite with his pack. "Sirius…"

Sirius cut him off and snarled "Albus, tell me what you want and then get out!"

"Do you mind if we sit?" Albus asked politely, he and Remus moving over to sit on the sofa.

"Actually, yes I do. You won't be here long enough."

The twinkle in Albus' eyes dimmed but he soldiered on. "Sirius, we need you to come back with us. Voldemort's attacks are growing bolder. Just this week there has been three attacks on muggle towns and one on Hogsmeade. We need everyone possible to stand up to him."

Totally at ease, Sirius put his feet onto the coffee table and crossed his arms. "Not gonna happen. Why should I help you when you left me to rot in Azkaban prison for 13 years?"

"Can't you forgive an old man his mistakes? It was an emotional time, we had just lost James and Lily and as far as we knew, you were their secret keeper." Albus said in his grandfatherly tone. He truly did feel bad but there was nothing he could do to change the past.

"No, I can't forgive you. You have no business being the Headmaster or a school let along Chief Warlock if you can't uphold the laws of the wizarding world. No, you just stood by and let them throw me into prison without a trial. Well fuck you Dumbledore! I helped you out before and look what it got me."

"What about Harry, won't you come back for Harry?" The Black assets could be very helpful in buying potions and helping to fund the Order of the Phoenix. There were not many affluent families left that could provide the same level of financial support.

Shrewd eyes studied Albus for a moment. "You haven't found Harry and unless you know something I don't, you never will."

"Yes, Remus told me what you said last time. Harry is necessary to the war, according to the prophecy; he is the only one who can defeat Voldemort. I must insist that you hand over any information you have on his whereabouts." Albus said sternly.

Sirius laughed bitterly. "Even if I had any information I wouldn't hand it over to you. Wherever he is, Harry is better off."

"You would sacrifice the wizarding world for one boy?" Albus said incredulously.

"I think the answer to that is obvious. Frankly, I'm not sure the wizarding world deserves to be saved. They made this mess; it should be up to them to clean it up. Tell me Albus, when was the prophecy made?"

"About a year or so before Harry was born but I don't see where that has any relevance."

"Don't you? That means that you had plenty of time to stop Voldemort before then. Why didn't you? If you are the only one he fears, surely you're powerful enough. Instead you leave it up to a 1 year old boy to do your job for you." Sirius put his feet back on the floor and stood up facing the two men at eye level.

Before either Albus or Remus could respond, Sirius said in a quiet yet dangerous voice. "You have your answer, now get the fuck out of my home and don't come back. And Remus, you should be ashamed of yourself; I thought you were our friend."

Remus protested "I am your friend just as I was for James and Lily."

"If that's the case, then why are willing to throw their son into a war that is not his responsibility? Is that something they would have done if they had lived?"

**August 4th, 1998**

**_MacManus Apartment, Boston, MA USA_**

It had been over two months since they had received a vision or a sign from Uriel. In that time, Kevin had graduated from high school and was taking the summer off. He had also told his older brothers about his decision regarding college. It would be an understatement to say that they were upset. Kevin had never seen them so angry and in the end, he changed his decision as much to escape their wrath as anything else. To begin with, he was going to a local community college so that he would be around if something came up. Depending on how things went, he would look at transferring to a 4 year school like Boston College.

Connor, Murphy and Kevin were sleeping in their apartment. Once again they were in a shared dream, they knelt before the Archangel Uriel. "I know you are troubled by what you have been asked to do, but know that this task would not have been given to you if it wasn't necessary. For so long, evil has held sway in the world; you are our instruments to help restore balance."

Uriel approached Kevin and lifted his face with his finger. "I know you have doubts and are afraid of what you might become. Continue to have faith in our Lord and he will see you through these trials."

Kevin couldn't find the words to respond so he simply nodded gratefully.

"You are needed in London Kevin. There is a great evil rising there and Kevin was chosen long ago to face that evil."

Murphy burst out "He's not doing anything by himself. We won't let him."

Uriel laughed at the fire in Murphy and Connor who had only restrained himself after Murphy's outburst. "I wouldn't expect you to. All three of you will be needed in the times ahead. But know this, if you are able to vanquish this evil than you will be done with your task."

Connor was happy at the idea that they would no longer be required to kill people yet he protested because he understood the value "Surely there will still be evil in the world and something must be done to stop it."

"Of course there will be, but balance will be restored. You will continue to fight evil in your own way but no longer will you be required to kill other men to do so. Serving as an example to others, striving to do good in the world, and keeping your faith in God will serve as a beacon for others to follow."

Like Connor, Murphy and Kevin were relieved to know that the path before them would change. "Thank you, as we have always done, we will follow the Lord's wishes."

"I know you will, but hurry the longer you delay in Boston, the stronger the evil will grow." Uriel stepped back into the shadows, his light fading. The vision ended, the boys slipped into a normal slumber.

The next morning, Kevin was quiet as he ate his breakfast. Connor was still asleep and Murphy was taking a shower. When Connor woke up, he heard the shower running, so he pulled on a t-shirt and a pair of shorts and joined Kevin at the kitchen table.

"So what do you think?" Connor asked curiously.

"I think we have to go to London and by the sound of things, the sooner the better. What do we do for guns though? Can we smuggle ours in?"

"I don't know, we'll probably need to talk to our supplier. Luckily, we can hit the black market over there if necessary though I would prefer not to. There's no guarantee that we will have the same luck with finding cash that we have here."

"Fuck, it's a good thing we got those passports. Smecker would probably be all over us if we tried to leave the country. You know he still thinks we're hiding something."

Connor nodded as he filled his coffee mug and took a sip. "I'll head over today to see what I can find out about weapons. You can go to the library and see where a good spot would be for us to live. Murphy if he ever gets out of the shower can get us tickets."

"That sounds like a good plan. What do we do with our stuff here?"

Connor lowered his head to hide his worry. He had a bad feeling about this trip. "I'm not sure. Even if we make it out of this, I'm not sure it would be safe to come back here. We might be better off going somewhere else."

"Together though right?"

Shooting Kevin a disgusted look, Connor just said "You even need to ask? I'm not giving up my brothers for anything."

**August 17th, 1998**

**_Kensington, London, UK_**

Murphy was standing at the northeast corner outside their apartment trying to get his bearings. They had arrived in London 9 days ago. Since that time, the trio had moved into the apartment and begun to get a feel for the city. Nothing was going to happen until they were comfortable with their surroundings and knew the streets and the major players.

Today they were meeting a man named Preacher. His name had been provided by a contact of theirs in Boston. Given the speed of their departure from Boston, the guns had to be left behind. Now they needed to get replacements. Preacher would either be that source or could direct them to the right people.

Kevin was staying behind to accept delivery for the furniture that they had purchased. The apartment was larger than the one they had in Boston. It had 3 separate bedrooms and 2 bathrooms split over two levels. It was presently empty; the furniture was scheduled to be delivered today so Kevin had reluctantly agreed to stay while Connor and Murphy met up with the Preacher.

Connor insisted that Kevin stay behind. There was very little information on the Preacher and were unsure how he would react to someone who hadn't even turned 18 yet. So Kevin was stuck waiting alone while his brothers were gone.

The furniture was dropped off in the early afternoon. Kevin took the opportunity to claim his bedroom and begin getting things setup. A quick glance at his watch told him it was 4pm, so he walked back to the hotel to grab his stuff. Briefly, he thought about getting his brothers' crap too, but decided against it. If they were going to leave him behind for this, they could do it themselves.

Connor and Murphy didn't trudge into the apartment until after 7pm. Both were carrying large duffel bags so it was evident to Kevin that they had been successful. "Bout time you two got here. What took you so fucking long?"

Gently placing the bag on the floor, Connor sagged into one of new chairs. "The Preacher just set us up with another contact so we had to meet with him before we could get anything."

"Man, that guy had some exotic guns. They would be hell to maintain though." Murphy unzipped his bag and pulled out a Beretta 92S double action pistol and started to pet it almost lovingly.

Kevin smirked at him and asked "Do we need to give the two of you some privacy?"

Purring to the pistol "Don't listen to him baby, you know I love you."

"So what's next?" Kevin asked.

"Well, it's just like Boston. We get jobs, you go to school if you can, learn the area, and wait for a sign." Murphy said, pulling his attention away from the pistol.

"But…" Kevin started only to be cut off by Connor.

"No way, you promised mom you would go to college. We're not going to let you back out of that especially now that we know we won't be doing this forever." Connor finished with a smile "Besides, Murphy and I will need someone to leech off of in the future so you better have a good job. We expect to be supported in the manner to which we have become accustomed."

"It's not fair to you two though. You're just as smart as I am, why shouldn't you go to college too?" Kevin argued. He wasn't upset at the idea of going to school, but he didn't like his brothers sacrificing for him in order to do it.

Murphy jumped in "I know what you're thinking Kev. Let's face it, Connor and I never really liked school. Sure we got good grades but that was mainly for mom. We are not giving up our chance to give you one. This is what we both want to do. Our old jobs at the meatpacking plant weren't glamorous, but they were enough for us."

"Whatever, you guys want to skip out on college that's your choice. If you expect to me to pay for you to sit around on your assess, then you've got another thing coming." Kevin finished grumpily. Not wanting to talk further, he stalked off to his bedroom and closed the door.

Connor got to his feet and was about to go talk to Kevin when Murphy stopped him. "Just leave him be, Kev will be ok. You know how he is; he doesn't want us to give anything up just for him."

"But we're not, we really didn't like school. Honestly, I have no interest in going to college." Connor protested.

"I know that and I think deep down Kevin knows that too. He feels bad that we have to support him though."

Connor practically growled and was almost angry. "That's was family is for, if he can't get that through his head I will pound it in myself."

Laughing softly, "He knows but he has always been the baby even if he is only 2 years younger than us."

"Whatever, he contributes enough as it is. We wouldn't have found this place so quickly or gotten everything organized so well if it wasn't for him. He may not be bringing home a pay check but he does his share." Connor asserted before walking over to the kitchen to get some water.

Kevin heard almost the entire conversation from his bedroom; he would have to remember the walls were thin. In his mind, he knew what Murphy and Connor were saying was true but it was hard to accept sometimes. He got off his bed when his stomach started to growl, apparently he needed food.

The trio went out to get take out from a local Chinese restaurant. On their way back, bags in hand Murphy started laughing. Seeing the questioning looks from Kevin and Connor he explained. "Didn't you see those two blond chicks checking Kev's ass out when he was bent over to pick up the newspaper? Looks like our little brother is going to be a heartbreaker over here the same way he was in Boston. I bet you could really milk the American thing Kev."

"Hey, you still me owe me the details on Kev. You're not getting away any longer. Without a TV, we need some entertainment tonight and you are the main attraction." Connor said while grinning evilly.

Kevin just mumbled while blushing "Shoot me, shoot me now."

**September 3rd, 1998**

_**London, UK**_

_**Are the Infamous Saints of South Boston Operating in London?**_

_**By**_

_**Margaret Fender**_

_Infamous organized crime lieutenant Marco Corelli was found gunned down in his home today. Also found at the scene were the bodies of his three bodyguards. The crime scene is reminiscent of the murders that took place in Boston earlier this year. As with those murders, the victims were found with coins on their eyes and the bodies were placed in a prone position following death._

_Police have so far turned up few clues to the motive behind the murders or potential suspects. Already people are referring to the crime as the work of the Saints, the criminals who gained notoriety this summer. Despite having murdered more than 30 people, the Saints were never located. There were no arrests made and nothing more than vague descriptions of the three men has ever been turned up._

_Marco Corelli had been implicated in three separate assassinations, drug trafficking, and extortion. His three bodyguards had criminal records for assault, battery and attempted murder. The character of the victims is not in question, but will the public take the same view of the Saints, if that is who perpetrated this crime, as the Boston citizens?_

_Public opinion in Boston was split. As time went on, more people began to support the Saints of South Boston and cheered their efforts at making the city safer. As with Boston, London is no stranger to crime, but do we want to put ourselves in the hands of vigilantes that are answerable to no one?_

**October 11th, 1998**

**_Piccadilly Circus, London, UK_**

Kevin got off the tube at the Piccadilly Circus stop. After wading through the crowds, he made his way up the stairs and walked the short distance to the main square. All the while, he was cussing at himself for agreeing to this meet. How did Smecker know they were in London and why did he want to meet with him?

His stomach was turning flips; the only thing that kept him from running was the reassuring weight of his Beretta concealed in the waist band of his jeans at the small of his back. Because he was wearing a heavy navy pea coat, it was hidden from any casual view.

There he was, wearing a grey suit and a light brown trench coat. Agent Smecker was sitting on a park bench situated by the nearest corner of the square. A deep breath steadied his nerves somewhat. With grim determination, Kevin walked over to the FBI agent and sat down.

"Agent Smecker, what a surprise to see you here in London." Kevin said lightly, trying to hide his nervousness.

The agent with his longish light brown hair and easy manner turned to Kevin. "Kevin MacManus as I live and breathe. Why don't we go for a walk?"

Kevin asked suspiciously "Why don't you tell me what this all about, surely this isn't a social call?"

"Meet me at St. Paul's cathedral in 20 minutes, we'll talk there." Smecker stood and left before Kevin could get anything else. There really was nothing to do but meet up with the man. Something was going on and Smecker was playing some sort of game.

A quick call from the cab to his brothers let them know what was going on. Arriving with a few minutes to spare, Kevin paid the driver and walked into the cathedral. Even though he had been in London for a couple of months now, he had done very little sightseeing. The cathedral was beautiful and majestic with its vaulted ceilings. A quiet awe fell over him as he remembered a picture of it still standing framed by smoke following one of the many bombing raids during WWII and the symbol of hope and strength it represented for the nation.

He was broken from his thoughts when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Jumping slightly, he turned and faced Agent Smecker. "Why are we meeting here?" He asked softly. It didn't seem right to disturb the peace the of this place.

"I thought you might be more comfortable here and it will be easier to speak in private." Smecker said, adopting Kevin's soft tone. He led Kevin over to a pew away from the other visitors.

Smecker jumped right in. "I was requested by Interpol. They are afraid that the Saints of South Boston have migrated to London."

As much as he tried to hide it, Kevin could stop himself from flinching a little. Smecker smiled slightly at the response. He had suspected the MacManus brothers for a while now. "It's convenient that around the same time that you leave the states, similar murders start happening in London."

Kevin was about to stand and leave when Smecker put a hand on his shoulder again and said "Wait a minute. If I was going to arrest you or your brothers, I could have done it before you left Boston."

"You know?" Kevin asked without thought and then started kicking himself for admitting it so easily.

"It wasn't too hard to figure out if you knew what to look for. The timing of a third man appearing on the scene corresponded with your initial injuries healing. The religious overtones suggested people that were at least familiar with if not men of faith. It also helped that I found your gun dealer, and with a little pressure he gave you three up. Of course he didn't know what you were using the guns for, but you put everything together and it certainly paints a picture." Smecker said a little smugly. It hadn't been easy to put together at all.

"So what now? I'm not going to tell you where my brothers are!"

"Have you ever heard that for evil to win all it takes is for good men to do nothing?"

"Yeah, of course. Heard it more than once on Sundays at church, why?"

"Because I've been thinking about that for a while. I've spent my career trying to bring down organized crime. Most of the time, they walk because the judge is bought, witnesses intimidated, or the jury is tampered with. In a few short months, you and your brothers managed to get more of the scum off the street than I ever did."

"Ok, so you're a supporter. Where does that leave us?" Kevin asked curiously, still somewhat doubtful about Smecker.

"The only reason I agreed to come over here is because I knew you would need help. You guys are outside of your element over here. The neighborhood contacts that you had in Boston won't help you here, that's where I come in. I won't kill anyone or tell you who to go after, but I will make sure you have access to the right people to get things done, diversions, weapons, whatever you need."

"You're serious?"

Smecker was determined to make this work and it shone in his face. "I'm tired of losing this war and you guys are the only ones making any headway. Look, talk it over with your brothers and give me a call." With that, he handed Kevin a business card and left the cathedral.

_**Meanwhile back the apartment**_

"Tell me again why we are letting Kevin do this?" Connor asked.

"Because that's who Smecker asked to see. I'm still not sure how he found out we were here. If it were a trap, he would have wanted to me all of us." Murphy replied.

"What if he thinks Kevin is the easiest to arrest and then he can use him as leverage against us?"

Murphy frowned, he hadn't thought about that. "Fuck, Kev is not taking the fall for us. If something happens to him, Preacher will regret the day he was born!"

Connor looked at his watch, "How long was the meet supposed to last?"

"Half hour tops, if Kev isn't back soon…" Murphy just left the statement hanging. Connor understood what he meant. Together, they began pulling out their Berettas and getting ready for fight. Like the military, the MacManus brothers wouldn't leave anyone behind or let anyone stand in their way.

Both brothers whipped around, guns in hand ready to fire when the door opened. Luckily for Kevin, they looked before they shot. "Fuck Kevin, are you trying to get killed!" Connor hissed.

Kevin replied with a grin "Sorry, not my fault you're paranoid bastards."

"Just tell us what Smecker was after."

"You're never gonna believe this…"

**November 11th, 1998**

**_Middlesex Guildhall Crown Court, London, UK_**

It had been one month since Agent Smecker made contact with them. The four of them were currently sitting in a side room in the Middlesex Guildhall Crown Court. Smecker had been able to get them into the court and past security. It was their first target since he had begun helping them. If all went to plan, they would take down the target and be outside before security had a chance to respond.

Their target was a well known Russian Mafia leader, Aleksei Ivanov. He was on trial for murder, attempted murder, and assault. This was his third trial, he had been found not guilty in each of the previous cases despite an overwhelming amount of evidence against him. The jury was currently deliberating and they would only act if they came back with a not guilty verdict again, otherwise they would let the man rot in jail.

Tension was running high at the moment. This was the first time they had ever attempted something like this in public. There was a big risk that something to link them to the crime could be left behind.

Kevin was the first to ask the obvious "Why exactly are we doing this?"

Smecker wisely remained silent. It wasn't his place, despite his help it wouldn't be him in the court room. The reasons for doing this were clear, but the risk was high, it could ignite the public against them.

Murphy sighed "We've been over this before. We need to do something to get people to take action and stand up on their own."

Connor tried to stop the argument before it began "No, we don't want them to do what we are doing and you know that already so don't even say it. Standing up and taking action is not the same thing, people just need to stop being apathetic and always waiting for someone else to make things better for them."

"I know, it's just this is so risky we've never done anything so public before. If it goes south on us, don't say I didn't warn you."

Silence once again filled the room. Each man was left to his own brooding thoughts while they awaited the outcome of the trial. On a prearranged signal from Smecker, another conspirator would trigger the fire alarm to empty the building and give them a little more time to act before having to deal with guards. Yet another conspirator was in the courtroom, when the verdict was read he would signal them. This whole thing would not have been possible without Smecker, he had been instrumental in finding sympathizers in key areas and bringing them in. Ironically, each one was connected to law enforcement in some way, it seems that Smecker wasn't the only one tired of seeing the criminals getting off.

Another hour passed before they got word that the jury had reached a verdict. Nothing was said. The men shared a quick look with each other nothing more. Each brother, removed their Berettas from their holsters, attached holsters and checked the clips. Finally it came, a pattern of knocks on the door that told them that the jury came back with a verdict on innocent.

Smecker stood at the door and waited while the brothers pulled on black ski masks and black leather gloves. The brothers were virtually identical, each dressed in blue jeans, black turtlenecks and heavy black coats. Slight differences in height were the only way to tell them apart. "Here we go." Smecker said as soon the masks were in place. After opening the door, Smecker sent the signal to the other conspirators to begin.

The second that Smecker opened the door, Kevin exited followed by Murphy and Connor. A handful of steps later, Kevin had kicked open the courtroom entrance. His voice rang out cold and strong even as he continued to move into the court room "Everyone on the ground the now."

At virtually the same time, the fire alarm was triggered. Outside people were pouring out of the court house.

Murphy was in the court room next. A quick scan of the room and he moved straight for the press. "Shut the fucking cameras off now." The reporters that were still standing, quickly shut down any video cameras or recorders that were running before dropping to the floor.

Connor closed the door behind him as he entered the room. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught the two guards pulling their weapons. "Drop the guns now!"

Everyone held their breath, few had any doubts that these men would open fire. The two guards realized that as well and they were not willing to risk their own lives or the lives of those present in the court room. Slowly, both guards withdrew their guns and placed them on the ground.

"Slide them up here." Connor was watching them closely and the pushed the guns up towards the front of the court room. While making sure he kept his guns trained on the guards, Connor crouched down and picked up the two guns.

Murphy and Kevin moved towards Ivanov and forced him to a kneeling position in front of the judge's bench. Kevin was behind the man with the barrel of his silencer pressed against the man's skull. Murphy moved back over to the far side of the court room to once again cover the press.

Taking a breath before he began, Kevin started the their message "You people have been chosen to reveal our existence to the world. You will witness what happens here today when good people throw of the chains of apathy and you will tell of it later."

From his position near the side entrance to the court room and keeping his guns spread wide to cover a portion of the court room, Connor stated in a passionate voice "Now you will receive us!"

From his position on the opposite side of the room, slowly panning his guns across the panicked court, Murphy added "We do not ask for your poor or hungry."

Connor picked it up again, alternating with Murphy "We do not want your tired and sick."

"It is your corrupt we claim."

"It is your evil that will be sought by us."

"With every breath, we shall hunt them down."

"Each day we will spill their blood till it rains down from the sky."

"Do not rape. Do not steal. Do not kill. These are principles which every man of every faith can embrace."

"These are not polite suggestions, these are codes of behavior, and those of you that ignore them will pay the dearest cost!"

"There are varying degrees of evil. We urge you lesser forms of filth not to push the bounds and cross over, into true corruption, into our domain."

"For if you do, one day you will look behind you and you will see we three. And on that day, you will reap it!"

"And we will send you to whatever god you wish." Murphy finished.

As one, he and Connor moved to join Kevin standing behind Ivanov. All three guns were aimed at the back of his head. In unison, they said "And shepherds we shall be, for Thee, my lord, for Thee. Power hath descended forth from Thy hand that our feet may swiftly carry out Thy command. So we shall flow a river forth unto Thee, and teeming with souls shall it ever be."

Kevin began "In Nomine Patris."

Connor continued "Et Filii."

All three cocked their pistols as Murphy finished "Et Spiritus Sancti."

Together they fired, the gunshots echoed off the walls of the court room for a moment before they were replaced by screams. Ivanov's body collapsed forward, most of his face gone. Before the brothers left, the flipped him over and place a coin over the remains of each eye and left through the door near the judge's bench. As soon as they left, the jury, press, and witnesses began streaming out of the room, running for the nearest exit in a panic.

Smecker was waiting for the brothers and led them through the maze of corridors to a side exit where a van was waiting for them. A non-descript man was waiting at the rear of the van. When he saw the four men emerge from the building, he tapped the side of the van three times and opened the back door. The driver started the van and put it into gear only waiting for the door to close again before driving off.

In the front of the court house, people were streaming down the steps. The press that hadn't been allowed into the court room was setup already pending the jury verdict. Seeing the people fleeing, the press was stopping anyone they could to get the story out, which only added to the confusion and made it easier for the brothers to escape.

**November 11th, 1998**

_**Kensington, London, UK**_

"Are you going to be ok tomorrow Kev?" Connor asked. Even though Kevin had turned 18 a little over a week ago, he would always look out for him.

Kevin took a long swallow from the beer he was holding before answering. His hand was still shaking a little from earlier today but he had calmed down a lot. "Yeah, it's just a meeting a professor to get his approval to take his class next term. Where's Murph?"

"He went out to get more beer. You know how he is after a day like today."

"Aye, how are you doing?" Kevin asked curiously.

"Nervous about the fallout actually. Hopefully people take Smecker's comments to heart. I don't want anyone to show up on radar. Do you think this is why we are over here?"

Kevin thought about it for a minute. It had been bugging him, the people that had been marked were no different than the ones in Boston. "No. It doesn't make sense there has been nothing that only we could take care of. I mean if I am 'destined' to do something I have to think that it is something more than your average Mafioso."

"I know, that's what worries me." Connor decided to change the topic "So why do you have to get permission from the professor to take his class?"

"It is a Sophomore level course but I have the requisites to jump into it. I just need to get his permission." Kevin explained. "What are you going to do?"

"Preacher said he would have our work visas tomorrow. Hopefully after that Murphy and I can finally get jobs."

Kevin grinned at him "At least you won't be sitting on your ass anymore. You're starting to get a little chubby." His beer finished, he stood to go get another one when Connor tackled him with a growl.

Kevin was quickly pinned by Connor who mocked him "I may be chubby, but I can still kick your ass."

**November 12th, 1998**

**_King's College, London, UK_**

Keys clinked softly as Sirius withdrew them from his coat pocket. His newspaper held in the crook of him arm, Sirius slid the key into the lock on his office door and opened it up. Quickly dumping his bag and newspaper on his desk, he flipped the lights on and left again to get a cup of coffee. The smell of the freshly brewed coffee perked him up when he filled a mug and returned to his office.

Sirius took a quick look at his watch, it was only 8:30AM, he still had a half hour before his first appointment. Nothing else to do, he began to read the paper. The front page was dominated by a single headline.

_**Saints of South Boston Strike in Middlesex Courtroom**_

_**By**_

_**Margaret Fender**_

_Yesterday morning the Saints of South Boston burst into a Middlesex Guildhall court room Three men dressed in black coats and wearing black masks broke into the court room and held the press, court personnel, and public attending the trial hostage while they delivered their message before executing Aleksei Ivanov shortly after the jury issued a verdict of Not Guilty._

_The Saints delivered a warning yesterday to would be criminals. According to witnesses, the Saints vowed to seek retribution on criminals and were unabashed in their promises of the harshest punishment possible. Based on the history of their suspected crimes, the Saints only have one punishment that they deliver._

_FBI Special Agent Paul Smecker was brought over from the US following the first suspected killing by the Saints. He has been investigating the Saints since they first showed up in Boston earlier this year. When questioned about their appearance and statement today he had this to say. "The Saints were very specific in their statement today. It was almost a call to arms, for people to fight back against evil and corruption. It brings to mind something I was told one time, that all evil needs to prosper is for good men and women to do nothing. However, people should not be confused, the Saints are not calling on them to kill criminals, in fact they warn specifically that to kill is one of the acts that can bring people to their attention. Based on the crimes and this new information, it seems to me that the Saints feel that they are on a mission whether it is their own or from God is something that others more qualified than me will have to decide. It is interesting to note that despite the number of deaths attributed to the Saints of South Boston, there has been no discernable pattern and unlike serial killers there has been no escalation. Each crime has been controlled and appears to have been precisely targeted at notorious criminals."_

_Public response has been decidedly mixed. There is an underlying current of many of the opinions heard by this reporter. Regardless of whether people were supporting the Saints' actions or not, people agreed with the need to take a more active role in cleaning up the city. What impact this will have remains to be seen._

The story had been all over the news last evening and it had made Sirius think about his position. Was he tacitly supporting Voldemort by not joining in the fight? Every time he thought about joining the Order of the Phoenix again, anger and resentment surged in him. He just couldn't trust Dumbledore. On his way to work this morning it occurred to him that he could do more in the muggle world. It may not be fighting against Voldemort but it would still be standing up for something.

He looked up when there was a knock on his door and voice said "Professor Black, I'm Kevin MacManus. We have a 9am appointment."


	2. It's Never Easy

A/N: I do not own Harry Potter & Co. or The Boondock Saints.

A/N 2: I don't know how long this will be, but the first chapter will take you from Voldemort's downfall up to the end of year 7.

**Chapter 2: It's Never Easy**

**November 12th, 1998**

_**King's College, London, UK**_

He looked up when there was a knock on his door and a voice said "Professor Black, I'm Kevin MacManus. We have a 9am appointment."

Sirius was speechless. Standing before him was a handsome young man approximately 5'10 or 5'11 with raven black hair that was cut short and stood up in all directions. His eyes were a brilliant green and shone with intelligence. If it wasn't for the eyes, Sirius would swear that James Potter had come back to life. As it stood, this was perhaps an even better outcome. Against all odds, either his godson or his identical twin had just walked into his office.

Kevin was a little concerned by the professor's silence. "Professor Black are you ok? I can come back if you want."

Shaking himself mentally, Sirius said quickly "No that's ok; I was just lost in thought there for a second. Please take a seat."

"Thanks professor." There was something about this professor that was familiar but he couldn't place it. He had probably just seen him on the campus at some point.

Forcing himself to stay calm and avoid any personal topics Sirius asked "I don't normally meet with First years. What can I do for you?" It was taking everything he had to control himself but he had a name now. As soon as Kevin was gone, he would send the information to the private investigator he used to get background on Kevin's past. He would only approach him if his past fit the timeline of Harry's disappearance.

Kevin felt that there was something off about this professor but he answered anyway "I want to take your Analysis of Modern Historical Trends class but since I'm a First year I was told I needed your permission."

Sirius wanted to scream in excitement. If this really was Harry, it would be the perfect chance to get to know him. Still, he would have to be discreet; the Order was still looking for Harry. He would not let them take him anywhere against his will. Clearly, if he was attending a muggle university he had chosen not to live in the wizarding world.

"Professor?" Kevin asked when Sirius stared off into space again.

Sirius forced himself to focus. "Yes sorry about that. Do you have your transcripts?"

Kevin unzipped his backpack and pulled out a copy of his high school transcripts and test scores. He handed them over silently to Sirius for his review.

Sirius looked over the papers and felt a warm glow. From Kevin's transcripts, he could tell he was smart just like James and Lily. God, he wanted to just come out and ask if he was adopted but it would probably scare him off. "Well, I don't see any problems but are you sure you up to taking a course at this level?"

"Oh yeah, I've always loved history." Kevin nodded enthusiastically.

Sirius smiled at the young man and asked "I don't recognize your accent, it doesn't sound very American. Where are you from?"

Kevin answered absently "My family lived in Dublin before moving to Boston. So I can register for the class?" As soon as he answered he couldn't help but notice the newspaper on the desk with the cover story talking about the Saints of South Boston.

"I need to get the Department Head's approval but I don't see any problems. Why don't you come back next week and I can give you the final answer." Sirius suggested.

Kevin stood from his seat and shook Sirius' hand before leaving. "Thanks Professor, I will see you next week." Once he was outside the office, he started to get a little nervous. On the surface Professor Black had seemed friendly enough but there was something off about him. Maybe he should talk to Connor about it and have someone find out his story.

Meanwhile back in the office, Sirius was trying to contain his excitement by convincing himself that Kevin MacManus wasn't his godson. But try as he might, he couldn't make himself believe it. He looked so much like James and his eyes; Lily was the only other person he knew that had such intense green eyes. Looks aside, he was from Dublin and had then left for the states which would explain why Sirius had never been able to find him. Perhaps now, with this information, the investigator he had used in the past would be able to dig something up.

He waited until he was sure that Kevin had left the office before he picked up the phone. His fingers tapped out the phone number quickly. Soon enough, the phone at the other end was picked up and he heard a familiar voice say "James Perry speaking."

Speaking quietly, so his voice wouldn't carry through the door Sirius said "Jimmy, it's Sirius Black."

"Black, been a while, what can I do for you? Did you ever find that godson of yours?" It had been close to year since he had heard from Sirius. He figured the man gave up hope of finding his godson when they ran out of leads. Not that Jimmy had any real confidence of finding the kid to begin with; there just wasn't enough to go on for something that had happened so long ago.

"Yeah, Jimmy I need you to follow up on a lead for me."

Jimmy was curious; the excitement was obvious in Sirius' voice even if he was trying to hide it. "Sure, what do you need me to do?"

"I have a name for you, Kevin MacManus. He is originally from Dublin but left for the states with his family."

"I'll see what I kind find. It will be my usual fees plus expenses." Jimmy said.

Sirius asked "How much time do you think you'll need?"

"Give me a week and we will see what I can dig up. I will call you with anything I find."

"Thanks, you don't know what this means to me."

"After all this time, I think I know exactly what finding your godson would mean to you. Hopefully this pans out." Jimmy finished and hung up the phone.

Sirius hung up as well and sat in his office just thinking about the events of the morning. He had spent years looking for Harry and now he had just walked in on his own. God, he wanted to say something so badly, but he needed to be sure. Now that Jimmy had a name and a city to focus on, Sirius was sure they would get some information. All he needed to do was get information on Kevin's adoption, if it was done quickly, the date should be close to the date that bastard Dursley abandoned Harry.

_**Kensington, London, UK**_

On his way back to the apartment, Kevin kept running over the meeting with the professor. The more he thought about it, the more it struck him as odd. There was just something off about Professor Black. He would definitely need to talk to Connor about what to do.

Sitting on the tube, Kevin contemplated his life. Lately he had been finding himself relying on Connor's advice more often. It wasn't that he loved Murphy any less, but he was the fun brother. Connor was the protector for lack of a better word. When their mom had died, Connor stepped into her role and made sure that Kevin always had whatever he needed. At first Kevin resented him for it, but as he got older he realized it was Connor's way of coping and keeping their family together.

Maybe this thing with Professor Black was nothing. There lives were crazy enough without some college professor looking into their pasts. Kevin stood and held onto a metal pole while the tube came to a halt. The doors slid open and Kevin along with a few others stepped out and proceeded up the stairs to exit the station.

A few minutes later, Kevin was nearing their flat. On impulse he went to a small grocery store on the corner to pick up some beer and frozen pizza. There was never much in the way of food in their flat other than cereal and breakfast food. Takeout was the most common lunch or dinner for the three brothers.

Carrying his meal in a brown paper bag, Kevin made his way back to the flat and went inside. Murphy would be at work, but Connor should be home. He had called in sick.

Connor's voice called out from the living room "Kev, that you?" A hacking cough followed the question.

"Yeah it's me." Kevin yelled back from the kitchen. He wasn't that hungry yet so he put the pizza in the freezer but he grabbed a beer before putting the rest away. After popping the top of the bottle, he went into the living room and sat down on the easy chair.

He looked closely at his older brother. Connor was pale, there were bags under his eyes, and his nose was red. "You really look like shit you know that right?" Kevin said brightly.

If he had been feeling better, Connor would have glared at him. As it was, he just said in a raspy voice "Fuck you Kev." Connor closed his eyes and tried to get more comfortable on the couch. "How did your meeting with that history professor go?"

"It started off ok, but after I left I started to get a strange feeling about the guy."

"What do you mean? Do you think he suspects who you are?"

"No, not really. It just seemed more personal than that. He only asked me a couple of questions about where I was from and the like, but there was this intensity behind the questions. It was like he was hoping I would give him certain answers and for the life of my I don't know why. As far as I know, I've never met the man."

Connor sat up, his face serious he said "So, what's your take on the guy?"

Kevin rubbed his eyes tiredly before taking another swallow of beer "I don't know. The conversation wasn't long enough to get anything out him. Beyond the basic biography provided by the university I know nothing about the man. For all I know he could be my father." That last was said with a laugh.

Even though he knew Kevin was joking at the end, Connor always got fiercely protective of Kevin when he mentioned his birth parents. "Even if he was your father, you will always be a MacManus." He said with a quiet intensity.

"Hey I know but it doesn't stop me from wondering who they were occasionally though. So what should we do about this professor?"

"I think we need to find out more about him. I'll call Preacher later today to see what he can find out. When are you meeting him again?"

"Next week, so we have some time." Kevin said.

Both men were quiet. The TV was showing the news while Connor looked like he was resting again. Kevin was slowly finishing his beer.

Suddenly Connor said "You know, I think I found our next assignment."

"Really?" All traces of worry or brooding lost from his voice.

Connor reached over to the coffee table and grabbed the newspaper. "Take a look at this." Connor handed Kevin the newspaper with an article and picture circled in black ink.

The all too familiar aura coming from the picture and article cemented it in Kevin's mind. This was their next assignment from Uriel. It only took him a moment to skim the contents of the article and get a read on the guy. "Fuck, this one is going to take some serious planning. I've seen stories about this guy on the news, his home is like a fortress and he rarely leaves it."

"I know we are probably going to need more than our standard side arms. It's going to be showy but the police will probably stay away not wanting to get involved."

Tossing the paper back onto the coffee table, Kevin said "It looks like we have to talk to Preacher about more than just my professor."

_**Headmaster's Office, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry**_

Albus Dumbledore was sitting in his office going over the latest reports from the Order. Voldemort had been strangely quiet these last couple of weeks. Albus could only think that he was planning something big. Hopefully Moody or Snape would come up with something. To make matters worse, there had still been no leads on Harry's location and Black's continued refusal to come back was frustrating as well.

The fire in his fireplace flared and changed to a glowing green color. Seconds later, Remus Lupin's head appeared in from the fire. "Albus, I have news for you."

Straightening in his chair, Albus looked at the werewolf with interest "Is it regarding Harry? Do you have a new lead?"

"Yes I do. The listening charm I placed in the office of that detective that Sirius uses finally paid off."

"What did you learn?" Urgency and excitement were warring for dominance in Dumbledore's voice.

"Not that much yet. Sirius asked the man to look into Kevin MacManus. I'm going to do some digging on my own, but the detective said he would have something for Sirius by next week."

"Good work Remus, do whatever you need to follow up on this Kevin MacManus. If he is Harry, we will need to bring him to Hogwarts for his own safety."

Remus frowned, Sirius' accusations and questions ringing in his ears. "Albus, what if he doesn't want to come back? What if he is happy where he is?"

Albus frowned slightly. "Nonsense, why would he not want to rejoin the wizarding world? It is his birthright after all. More importantly, the wizarding world needs him, they need their savior."

"But what if he doesn't? We would be no different than Voldemort if we force him into a role he wants nothing to do with."

"Remus, you know of the prophecy. Harry is the only one who can defeat Voldemort, he has to come back. In the end, his wishes are irrelevant, he must save our world." Albus finished fervently.

Remus just shook his head. "I don't disagree with you regarding Harry's importance and god knows I want him back for personal reasons too. Still, I don't think he is going to be willing to fight against Voldemort for us if we take him against his will."

"Then he will be made to see reason. He is too important to our future to allow any possibility of failure in this."

Remus sighed; he would not convince Albus to act any differently. He only hoped that Harry would understand their needs and justifications. "I'll let you know what I find out." Even as he disappeared from the fire, he said a silent prayer asking for forgiveness from his friends. He knew he was betraying them by helping Albus but the man had been the first to see beyond the fact that he was a werewolf. After all the man had done for him, he found it virtually impossible to go against him, even if it meant betraying his friends and family.

_**Malfoy Manor, UK**_

Severus Snape and Lucius Malfoy were drinking fire whiskey in the den. Surprisingly the topic was not about either Voldemort or Dumbledore, at least not directly.

"How much longer can you stay afloat Lucius? I know Voldemort has been bleeding you dry to fund his war." Snape asked his typical sneer in place.

Lucius grimaced and swallowed the remainder of his fire whiskey before pouring another glass. "I can last long enough, it would be easier if Narcissa was still getting her stipend from the Black family vault but that traitor cut her off."

"Black" Snape spat. "Why do you just kill him and then Draco will inherit everything."

"Don't think I haven't thought about it, but Dumbledore would no doubt step in." Lucius said.

Snape stared at the blond man incredulously. "Haven't you been paying attention to anything these last 5 years? Black left the wizarding world and abandoned Dumbledore's cause. The man may be upset at his death, but he would never know in time to stop anything."

Lucius realized he had not been paying attention to anything outside of the Ministry for quite some time. He had lost touch with much of what has been going on the wizarding world. A cruel smile spread across his face "Well, that changes the landscape a bit doesn't it? Do you know where he lives?"

Snape's smile was equally cruel. He was remembering all the times that he had been tormented by Black and Potter. Now he could get his revenge on Black. "His home is warded. I don't think you could reach him there, but he works at a muggle university."

A look of distaste blossomed on both their faces at the thought of working with muggles or interacting with them on a daily basis. "That's just perfect then isn't it? His absence won't even be noticed until it is too late. Plus if the traitor is living and working with muggles, he doesn't deserve the Black fortune to begin with."

**November 15th, 1998**

_**Soho, London, UK**_

Murphy and Kevin were meeting Preacher today. Connor was still sick so he had asked Murphy to go with Kevin to the meet. Even though they had worked with the man before, they did not really trust him to keep their secrets or take advantage of any perceived weaknesses. Therefore, the brothers never met with him singly; there were always at least two of them at every meeting.

Not for the first time that evening, Murphy was shaking his head at the security precautions they had to follow every time they met with Preacher. Each time it was at a different apartment. Tonight they were in Soho at a rather expensive looking loft. A look at his watch told him it was time. "Come on Kev, let's go."

Kevin followed Murphy without saying a word. He watched as his brother knocked on the heavy metal door. A few seconds later, the door opened and they were greeted by the familiar features of Preacher, those they could discern anyway. As always, the apartment was dimly lit and Preacher was dressed in baggy non-descript black clothing that totally masked his build. He wore a cap pulled low over his forehead and shaded glasses which hid the color of his eyes.

Never one to waste time on idle chit chat, Preacher said "I must say you boys never cease to entertain me. Sirius Black is one of the more interesting people I've had to dig up dirt on in a while and I will say, this time it was a real eye-opener." He motioned Kevin and Murphy to the small table that was sitting in the center of the room. An open whiskey bottle and three shot glasses were the only things on the table.

Kevin and Murphy sat down. Kevin spoke up first. "Who is he?" Then realizing what he was setting himself up for he quickly added "Beyond the fact that he is a history professor for the University of London."

"Sirius Black is a member of an old family that has lived in London for years. He is the last living direct heir other than cousins and such. He has been living in London for close to 5 years before that he was in prison for 13 years for the murder of 14 or 15 people but apparently, he was never given a trial and was later proven innocent." Preacher recited in a professional tone.

Murphy was disgusted "How could they throw someone in prison without a trial? The system may suck but it isn't that bad."

Preacher continued on "What I'm going to say next is going to sound crazy but I assure it is 100 true. I may have no loyalty to anyone, but I always deliver quality information. What I am about to tell is not widely known, but there is a world that exists alongside our own. It is a world where magic exists and things like dragons and unicorns are not just fairy tales."

Kevin scoffed "Bullshit, there's no way they could keep something like that a secret. Fuck spy satellites would pick them up from the air if nothing else."

"I don't know how they do it, but my contact showed my one of their shopping areas here in London. It is called Diagon Alley. It was the most bizarre thing I have ever seen. Grown men and woman dressed in robes and looking like they were just pulled out of the 1800s. They don't use electricity, no cars, no real industrialization; they depend on magic for everything. If that is how they live with magic, they can keep it. Well, anyway Black is a wizard and their government while technically a department of ours is still mostly independent. They have their own jails and justice system. The wizards were the ones to throw him in jail without a trial and that violated most of their own laws too. When he was finally let out, he left the wizarding world and came here because he had suffered too much at the hands of wizards."

"Were you able to find any reason why he might be interested in me?" Kevin asked.

"No, there didn't seem to be any connection between the two of you. As far as my contacts could find, there have never been any witches or wizards in the MacManus family. It may just have been coincidence but I try to avoid believing that as much as possible." The brothers never told Preacher that Kevin was adopted. It wasn't hidden and Preacher could certainly find out if he looked but it provided another layer of protection.

"As do we." Murphy agreed.

"You'll let us know if you find something else." Kevin said more as a statement than a question.

Preacher just nodded his head in agreement. Together, the three men rose and Preacher watched while Kevin and Murphy left. After the door closed, he went over and pulled out another file. It contained detailed information on the search for the wizarding world's savior, Harry Potter. Reading it, Preacher couldn't help but shake his head; it was ridiculous to expect a child to save them from their version of the anti-Christ. Still, the description of the boy, messy black hair and startling green eyes reminded him somewhat of Kevin MacManus. Wouldn't that be something, the savior of the wizarding world taking on the criminal world with his brothers? Anyone else would have dismissed the notion for its sheer impossibility but Preacher never left potential business opportunities go unexplored. Perhaps it was time to learn a little more about the MacManus brothers and Kevin in particular.

**November 17th, 1998**

_**King's College, London, UK**_

Sirius was pacing in his office. It had been nearly a week since he had talked to Jimmy. Now tomorrow was his appointment with Kevin. He was trying to decide how he should approach Kevin. It was going to come as a shock. As much as he wanted to ease into a relationship with Kevin, he didn't think one built on lies would end well. It was going to be up to Kevin whether he wanted to pursue anything, Sirius could only hope for the best. Of course, all this was dependent on Jimmy finding something relevant. The last thing Sirius wanted to do was disrupt Kevin's life if he wasn't Harry.

In an effort to distract himself, he sat down at his desk again and pulled out a stack of essays that hadn't been graded yet. He was halfway through the stack when the phone rang. A cup of cold coffee was knocked onto the floor in his rush to grab the phone.

"Hello?" Sirius answered.

"Sirius, it's Jimmy. I have that information you were looking for."

His heart pounding, Sirius urged "Well, don't keep me waiting."

Jimmy laughed softly before going on "Kevin MacManus was found abandoned in an alley in Dublin by Annabelle MacManus on November 1st and adopted on November 2nd. Less than a year later, the family moved to the states. They lived in Boston, but she died a couple of years ago from lung cancer. I have more information; I am messengering it over to your office. You should have it soon."

Sirius couldn't contain his gratitude and was thanking Jimmy profusely. "I'll call you if I need anything else Jimmy."

"If you head over to the states to find him, let me know. I've spent too long on this case to not find out what happens."

"Sure thing, and thanks again." Sirius hung up the phone and leaned back in his chair. His mind was racing; all his nervousness that he had pushed away came roaring back. It still wasn't a certainty but how many babies would be abandoned in an alley in Dublin on the same day. Even in a city the size of London it was not a common occurrence.

The messenger still had not shown up by the time Sirius had to leave to teach a class. His students noticed that he was distracted and not as lively as he usually was during lecture. After class was over, he spent a few minutes answering questions before hurrying back to his office. The department secretary handed him a package as he walked by her desk on his way to his office. A quick glance told him it was from Jimmy.

By the time he reached the office, his hands were shaking. He had to take a few deep breaths to calm down enough to get the key into the lock. Once inside, he locked the door again; he didn't want to be disturbed while he went over whatever information Jimmy had found. Nervously, he opened the envelope and pulled out a sheath of papers and began to read about the life of Kevin MacManus.

_**Headmaster's Office, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry**_

Albus was just returning from the great hall following dinner when he heard someone running towards him. Turning his head, he saw Remus Lupin racing towards him. "Albus…" Remus had to stop there and catch his breath; he was bent over with his hands resting on his knees as he sucked in air.

"Why don't we take this to my office? That way we won't be disturbed or overheard." Albus suggested.

He waited a moment for Remus to catch his breath before leading the way back to his office. The gargoyle spun aside after hearing the password from Albus. Together, the climbed the stairs to the Headmaster's office. Once both men had taken a seat, Albus asked "Now what brings you hear in such a hurry."

"We may have found Harry." Remus said urgently.

Albus leaned forward over the desk, hope shining in his eyes as he urged "Tell me everything."

"That detective that works for Sirius found something. Kevin MacManus was found abandoned in a Dublin alley on November 2nd, 1981. The family moved to Boston shortly after he was adopted."

"Where is he now?"

"Presumably still in Boston or the United States at least. He didn't have anything else to share with Sirius over the phone. He sent Sirius more information but they didn't discuss it over the phone." Remus finished.

"We must send a team to Boston to see if they can find any trace of Harry. Is it worth approaching Sirius again?" Dumbledore asked.

Remus just shook his head sadly. "No, I don't think he will ever forgive us or help us in any way. But I would like to be part of the team that goes to Boston."

Dumbledore paused in thought, considering who would be best to send. An Auror would be helpful, they wouldn't have any authority to act in the United States but their investigative skills may come in handy. "Of course, take Sturgis Podmore and Kingsley Shacklebolt with you. Keep me informed of anything you find."

"Ok, I will contact them immediately." Remus stood and moved over to Albus' fireplace to use the floo.

Before Remus could leave Albus said "I don't need to remind you of how important this is Remus. Please do everything in your power to bring Harry back."

_**Kensington, London, UK**_

Connor and Kevin were sitting watching TV. Murphy had left earlier for a date with a girl he met the other night. They had already gone over the information from Preacher with Connor so there was really no reason for him to stay in tonight. Kevin would have gone out but he felt bad that Connor had been stuck inside for close to a week now with nothing else to do.

Connor was feeling better but it would probably be another couple of days before he was up to full strength again. Blueprints and schematics were scattered on the kitchen and coffee tables. The trio had been planning out their attack on the next target even though Connor wasn't up for it yet. As soon as he was healthy again, they would be ready to go.

"So what are you going to do about this professor tomorrow?" Connor asked, not turning his head away from the TV.

Kevin was silent waiting for a commercial break before answering. "It doesn't seem like there is a downside to me going to the meeting. I did reschedule it for later in the day though so there would be fewer people around if something goes down."

"Mmm…that's not a bad idea, you should be careful though. Who knows what he can do with magic." Connor said. All three of them were still having a hard time believing that magic was real. Of course, it would have been even harder were they not serving an archangel. Most people would say they were crazy for believing such a thing. Compared to that, the wizarding world wasn't that great of a stretch of the imagination.

"Oh I will. I'm going armed this time. I doubt magic will stop a bullet."

That got Connor's attention. Usually Murphy was the aggressive one while he and Kevin preferred the cautious approach. "Are you sure that's necessary?"

Kevin just shrugged. "If he really has somehow connected me with the Saints then he needs to be taken care of. But I won't do anything unless absolutely necessary."

Connor dropped it. He would just have to trust in Kevin's judgment. "Are there any cute girls that have caught your eye?"

"There were a couple of girls that I would consider attractive, yes." Kevin answered evasively.

Connor turned his head to look at Kevin. Smirking he asked "Are you going to show them how you earned you nickname back in Boston?"

Kevin looked horrified. How had Connor found out about that? Murphy was the only one who knew and he swore he would never tell. "Fuck, I'm going to kill Murphy. He swore he would never tell you about that."

Connor was openly grinning now. "Oh it wasn't Murph that told me. It was one your conquests."

Kevin's blush had spread up his neck and across his entire face. "Please just kill me now."

"Apparently Mary McDonnell had quite a thing for us MacManus men. You didn't remember that we dated briefly did you?"

"Oh my god, I got your sloppy seconds?" His face a little green now which clashed horribly with the fading blush.

"Hey I never said I needed the details from you just that you still owed them to me. So is there any Mary's that I can look forward to seeing?"

"Why are you so interested? It's not like you've fu…had sex with any women since we got over here." Kevin corrected himself midway through his sentence. Connor might be blasé about sex and wasn't against casual sex but he preferred that they not make it too crass by calling it fucking.

For a moment, Connor gave Kevin a penetrating gaze before answering "Frankly Kev, you are too tense. Getting laid would loosen you up some."

Pouting Kevin said "Yeah well, I'll see what I can do about that for you."

**November 18th, 1998**

_**King's College, London, UK**_

It was nearly 5pm by the time Kevin reached Professor Black's office. Normally, the professors left by 5pm and the department offices closed but Black had said it was ok to meet at that time. Before he left the apartment for his meeting, he had strapped on a shoulder holster for his gun. Slipping the Berretta into place after he attached the silencer and then he pulled on his heavy navy pea coat. Luckily it was cool out so no one would look twice at him. Normally, he would have taken the tube to the University campus but given the fact that he was armed, he and Connor both felt a cab would be a better option.

The building housing the history department was largely empty by the time that Kevin arrived. It was ten minutes to 5pm; he arrived early to get in before the doors locked. The doors to the history department were still open but the secretary was missing. This struck Kevin as a little odd. He had just walked passed her desk when he saw her collapsed on the floor. Kneeling by her side, he saw she was already dead, but he couldn't find any reason for it. Her eyes were open in fact she looked like she was at peace other than the look of surprise on her face.

The sound of glass shattering caught his attention. Standing up, he reached into his coat and pulled out his Berretta, flicking the safety off as he pulled the pistol out. Slowly he made his way forward. Before he could take more than a few steps Professor Black came barreling around the corner, something in his hand that looked like a stick. He yelled something that Kevin couldn't understand and beam of blue light shot out of the stick back the way he had come. A small explosion filled the hallway with dust and smoke.

Unfortunately, since he was looking backwards, Sirius barreled right into Kevin knocking them both down to the floor. Kevin said "Get the fuck off me!" as he pushed up and rolled out from underneath Sirius.

He had just gotten to his knees when two more men came running towards them through the dust and smoke. Both men were dressed in black robes with white masks that were reminiscent of the Ku Klux Klan to Kevin. It wasn't their outfits that surprised him though. Both men were surrounded by the same light that always marked criminals as targets for retribution.

The man in the lead slowed to a halt when he saw Sirius on the ground. He barely spared a glance at Kevin before saying "Maybe I should let this muggle live. What do you think Black? After all he's made this much easier."

Sirius couldn't say anything. He couldn't believe it; he had just found his godson after 5 years of searching and now they were both going to die. He changed his position so he was now kneeling on the floor, ready to dodge but not expecting to survive. If he was lucky, he could distract them long enough for Kevin to escape. Whispering a silent apology to James and Lily, he waited for the spell to end his life.

Kevin took advantage of their focus. Moving too quickly for either of the masked men to react. He raised his Berretta and fired two shots. Each shot coming out as a soft _whump _because of the silencer. The man in front stepped back into the wall from the force of the impact before falling face forward onto the carpet; the two bullets pierced his heart killing him instantly.

The second man swung his stick around and yelled something. Kevin dove out of the way of the sickly green light that slammed into the wall behind his former position. Coming out of the roll, he swung his pistol up again and snapped off a third shot. A pool of blood began to spread out from the man's body.

The man screamed in pain as the bullet tore into his thigh. The bullet shredded muscle and cracked the femur. Unable to support his own weight, the man collapsed against the wall before sinking down to the floor.

Sirius' old instincts finally came out. While Kevin was aiming for another shot, he sent a red beam into the man, causing the masked man to collapse entirely. It didn't look like he was dead, so Kevin calmly aimed and fired another shot into the man's head. Blood and pieces of the man's brain spattered on the floor and wall.

Pulse racing, Kevin turned to Sirius with a bland expression and said "Is there something you want to explain to me?"


	3. Meetings and Explanations

A/N: I do not own Harry Potter & Co. or The Boondock Saints.

A/N 2: I don't know how long this will be, but the first chapter will take you from Voldemort's downfall up to the end of year 7.

**Chapter 3: Meetings and Explanations**

**November 18th, 1998**

_**King's College, London, UK**_

His mind was caught in a loop, he just kept thanking god that he had worn his black leather gloves. He would leave any prints or other evidence behind, other than the bodies of course.

Finally, with his pulse still racing, Kevin turned to Sirius with a bland expression and said "Is there something you want to fucking explain to me?"

Sirius was staring at Kevin speechless. He couldn't get his head wrapped around what he had just seen. With no hesitation or any apparent qualms, Kevin had just killed two men in cold blood. Granted they deserved it, they were Death Eaters and for some reason they had been trying to kill him. Still, his godson had just killed two men and was now standing there waiting for an explanation from Sirius. What kind of environment did he grow up in that allowed him to kill so easily?

The scene in the hallway was rather gruesome. Two men dressed in black robes and white masks lying in the hallway clearly dead. Blood was slowly spreading out from the bullet holes forming into shallow pools that were darkening as they dried.

"Why…" Sirius stammered "Why did you kill him? He was stunned." That's what shocked Sirius the most. It wasn't Kevin killing the first one, but the calm way that he executed the second Death Eater, even though he was no longer a threat.

Kevin chose to ignore the question and focused on slowing his breathing. He was nowhere near ready to trust Black with their secrets. Any explanations now would potentially give away too much information. Smoothly deflecting the question away, Kevin stood there with his Beretta at the ready and asked "Why were they trying to kill you? Who are you Professor Black that two men in ridiculous looking outfits would try and kill you?"

This was not how he planned to tell Kevin that he was his godfather. Yet Kevin clearly expected an answer. It would be impossible not to be honest about the wizarding world given the nature of the attack. "This isn't really the best place to discuss this. Maybe we should go back to my flat; it would be safer to talk there." He was lost though, should he do something about the bodies or should he leave them their to be found. If he banished them, he would have to deal with the secretary too and she had a family that deserved to know she was dead. There would be a lot more questions if she was found dead for no reason. At least this way, her death could be attributed to the other two men.

Kevin snorted breaking Sirius from his rambling thoughts. "You think I'm going back to your apartment? I'm not that stupid. We can go someplace public where there are other people around." Kevin paused while he thought of possible locations and then it struck him, the answer was pretty obvious. It would be public and quiet at the same time so they were not likely to be interrupted. "The library, we can go to the library."

Sirius nodded his agreement after a moment's thought. He waited a moment to see what Kevin would do, but Kevin stood there waiting patiently for Sirius to lead the way. "What should we do about them?" Sirius asked while looking at the Death Eaters.

Kevin just shrugged his shoulders and responded "Leave 'em, someone will find them and call the police. Too bad they have masks on; I'd like to know who they are."

Sirius had just knelt down to retrieve their wands when Kevin suggested "I wouldn't do that. Not unless you want to be a suspect in their deaths. Don't you ever watch any cop shows, you'd probably leave some kind of evidence behind for them to find."

Sirius realized that Kevin was probably right, so left with no other alternative, Sirius stood and led the way to the library for a discussion that he was dreading more and more with each passing minute. Oh well, it wasn't his responsibility to keep the wizarding world a secret. Maybe it would be a good thing if they were no longer in hiding. Certainly, the muggles deserved to be warned about Voldemort and his Death Eaters.

It was a short walk from the History department to the library. The building was large covered in green glass with a large arched entrance. After entering through the main doors, Sirius led them to the second floor where the study rooms were located. After a short search they found one that was unoccupied and stepped in.

The door closed with a soft click and Kevin drew his Beretta from its holster and pointed it at Sirius. "Hand over the stick, and then you can start talking."

Sirius debated internally for a moment before deciding that he had little choice if he was going to explain things. With a quick flick of his wrist, his wand shot from his holster into his hand. It was placed on the table slowly and pushed over towards Kevin.

Kevin snatched it up and put it in his pocket for safekeeping. "Ok, so explain, who were those men and why were they trying to kill you."

It looked like Sirius was searching for words before he finally answered. "First off magic is real and there exists an entire society of witches and wizards that hide themselves from the rest of the world." It pleased Sirius that Kevin wasn't staring at him like he was crazy. Though, the cold look Kevin was giving him really wasn't much better. Maybe he had grown up in the wizarding world in the states and had chosen to live in the non-magical world the way he had. "Have you heard of Voldemort or his Death Eaters?"

"Nope, never heard of them, though by your question I assume those two men that tried to kill you were Death Eaters."

A quick nod of his head affirmed Kevin's supposition. "Yeah, I'm not sure why they were after me. I haven't been a part of the wizarding world for over four years now. Anyway, their leader Voldemort could be considered a terrorist; he is a dark wizard that believes only pure blood wizards deserve to live. Everyone else should either be killed or enslaved. The Death Eaters are all pure blood wizards, those who can trace their magic lineage back through both parents for generations, who follow his banner."

Now Kevin was confused. Voldemort sounded like another spin on a skin head or KKK. Those outfits they wore didn't do much to disprove that comparison either. "How many wizards are there? There can't be that many of you if you keep your world hidden?"

Kevin's questions told Sirius that he hadn't grown up knowing anything about magic. "Worldwide there may be a few million; I don't think there has ever been a census done. But I see where you are going and you're right the wizarding world would get wiped out if Voldemort ever made a move against the non-magical world. The weapons and numbers would overwhelm any advantage that might be gained from magic. If there is one thing that I have learned since leaving the wizarding world is that this world is much more innovative and open to change than the magical world. Kevin can I ask you a question?"

"Sure, I may not answer it, but go ahead." So far, he hadn't learned anything really useful. The politics of Voldemort's group was interesting but beyond that it was just a rehash of what he had learned from Preacher. He was waiting for Sirius to ask about the gun or his lack of reaction to killing those two men. It was still way too early to trust him, but Kevin still couldn't shake the feeling that they had met somewhere before and it was beginning to annoy him.

"Were you adopted?" Sirius asked nervously and yet the tone of his voice was very earnest almost hopeful.

Kevin was taken aback but he thought about the question for a moment. Was there any danger in answering it? It couldn't be tied back to his brothers and he was certainly old enough that he would never have to worry about being sent back to the parents who had abandoned him. Answering guardedly he said "Yeah, I am. Why do you care?"

"Kevin, I don't know how to say this any other way than just coming out with it. I think you are my godson. You are the spitting image of my best friend; the only difference is you have your mother's eyes." Sirius didn't have to wait long for a reaction.

Kevin was stunned but he quickly came out of it and anger began to swell in him. This man was claiming to be his godfather. Did he expect Kevin to care after he had been abandoned by his fucking parents? His chair screeched across the floor as he forced it back and stood up, his gun pointed Sirius. "Even if you are my fucking godfather, why the hell should I give a shit about anything my fucking parents did since they obviously couldn't be bothered enough to care for me?" He hissed out in cold anger.

The blood drained from Sirius' face when he realized that Kevin didn't know what had happened to James and Lily. It made sense, if he didn't know who he was; there would be no reason to think that he was abandoned by anyone other than his parents. "No, no, no Kevin you don't understand. It wasn't your parents that abandoned you."

"What the hell are you talking about? Who else would have left me in an alley?"

"On Halloween of 1981, your parents were attacked by Voldemort. He killed both of them and tried to kill you but something happened and his spell backfired driving his soul out of his body. One of the leaders of the wizarding world felt you would be safest living with your aunt even though they hated everything to do with magic."

"So it was my aunt that abandoned me?" Kevin asked, still disbelieving somewhat but it hurt less knowing that his parents were dead and had never knowingly thrown him away like garbage.

"Yes, the bitch and her whale of a husband left you in Dublin the next day, November 1st. I've been searching for you for the last 4 years." Sirius explained.

"Didn't my parents leave a will or something?"

"They did but it was ignored."

"What the hell is wrong that that world? Do they just ignore their laws whenever they feel like it?"

Sirius looked a little embarrassed but angry at the same time. He too had been a victim of the wizarding world's corruption and laziness. "The wizarding world is rather lazy as a whole. I don't know why, but we don't question things the way non-magical people do. Most just prefer to follow blindly along with the pack. To make matters worse, the Ministry is largely influenced by the wealthy."

"No wonder you stay hidden, you'd never get away with so blatantly breaking laws if you weren't. So back to my parents, if you're telling the truth, then my parents were wizards? Would that mean that I'm one too? Is there any way to prove this?" Kevin wasn't sure how he felt about the fact that he could be a wizard. He was happy the way that he was and didn't really need the added complications that magic would no doubt bring.

Sirius looked at him apologetically "There is a spell I could cast, but I will need my wand back. I'm willing to swear on magic that I won't harm you in any way. If I break my oath, I will lose my magic forever."

Curiosity outweighed his lack of trust so Kevin slid the wand back over to Sirius but he didn't holster his Beretta. He may be showing a little trust, but he wasn't stupid. A quick flick and mumbled phrase in what sounded like Latin, a soft yellow light emerged from the wand and enveloped Kevin. "Ok, now we need a drop of your blood on a piece of paper. It will form your family tree."

A cold stare was leveled by Kevin for a moment before he held out his free hand to Sirius. Sirius conjured a knife and pricked Kevin's outstretched finger. A small drop of blood slowly grew from the prick until it finally grew fat enough to fall. When it hit the paper, the blood crawled over the page forming words and interconnecting lines.

Both Kevin and Sirius moved closer to the sheet of paper so they could read the results. Unaware that he was holding his breath, Kevin exhaled sharply when he saw his name written on the paper and in parenthesis was written Harry James Potter. His parents were James and Lily Potter and according to the family tree, they both died on October 31st, 1981.

"Harry, I know this is a lot to take in." Sirius began and put his arm around Kevin's shoulder to comfort him.

Kevin shook Sirius' arm off his should and turned to him angrily. "What the fuck Black? You may be my godfather but no matter how much you may want it, I'm not Harry Potter! I never will be, I was raised as Kevin MacManus by mom and I won't give that up for anyone."

"I'm sorry; I know you're not the Harry that I knew. It's just that after searching for you for so long…"

"Fuck, I can't handle this right now. Look, I realize how hard this is for you, but I need to think about things and what this means." Kevin holstered his Beretta and opened the door. "I'll contact you, but I need time."

"Kevin wait, there's something you need to know."

"What!?" He asked irritably.

"Because you survived a spell that no one has ever survived before, the wizarding world knows you as the Boy-Who-Lived. But, what you need to be on the watch for is other wizards, Death Eaters and Voldemort would love to kill you in revenge for what happened that night. Also, there is a group of wizards fighting the Death Eaters; they are called the Order of the Phoenix and they are searching for you too. They think you are the key to defeating Voldemort once and for all."

"What the hell is wrong with you people; take care of your own fucking problems! And I thought you said that Voldemort was dead?"

"He wasn't dead, you drove his spirit from his body but somehow, he was able to survive long enough to be returned to a body earlier this year." Sirius explained.

"I'm sorry, but that's just fucked up." Kevin didn't give Sirius a chance to say anything else. He spun on his heel and left the room and hurried out of the library.

Sirius was left staring at the slowly closing door. Unbidden, a tear rolled down his face. He could only hope that his godson would come back to him. It was only after Sirius was getting ready to leave himself that he remembered that he never found out why Kevin had a gun with him or how he had kill the two Death Eaters so easily.

_**Kensington, London, UK**_

Kevin was in a daze on his way back home. Yet, despite everything he had learned and seen or maybe because of it, he was feeling particularly paranoid. He took three separate tubes on his way back before finally jumping into a taxi. He hoped it would be enough to throw off anyone who may or may not be following him.

It was with sore legs and a weary mind that Kevin finally made it back home. It was close to 10pm when he walked inside and closed the heavy wood door behind him. The living room was lit only by the soft flickering light from the television. Given the time, Kevin figured it would be Connor watching TV since Murphy was probably out at one of the pubs in the area.

Before going in and talking to Connor, Kevin decided he needed a beer. Opening the refrigerator, he looked in and smiled. As usual, it was filled with leftover takeout and beer, the essentials of life for him and his brothers. He reached in and grabbed a beer, twisting of the bottle top and tossing it away.

To his surprise, it was Murphy that called out "Kev bring me a beer will you?" Kevin jumped, startled by a voice calling out. He was still a little wired from the night's earlier events.

Not bothering to respond, Kevin just grabbed another beer from the refrigerator and walked out to the living room. After handing Murphy the beer, he sat down on the sofa and asked "Where's Connor, I figured he would have waited up?"

Murphy shrugged "He went to bed about an hour ago, wasn't feel well. Probably hoping to sleep it off."

Kevin took another swallow of beer before continuing "I thought you had a date with Maria tonight. What happened, did she dump you already?" He finished with a small grin. Murphy had been notorious in Boston for never having a relationship that lasted longer than a month. Usually, he got bored and moved on but occasionally it was the opposite and he was the one dumped.

Embarrassed Murphy nodded his head. "She beat me to the punch. I was going to dump her anyway. She wasn't adventurous enough for me." He said, leering suggestively at the end, leaving Kevin with little doubt about what he was referring to.

"Not every girl is into whips and leather." Kevin finished off his beer and went to grab another one. He was already a little more relaxed since he hadn't eaten any dinner the beer was having a bigger effect than it normally would have.

Murphy eyed Kevin briefly with a critical eye after he returned. He could tell that Kevin was jumpy from something. "So, are you going to tell me how the meeting with your professor went?"

"It didn't go exactly as I expected it to." Kevin then explained what happened in Sirius' office as well as the revelations in the library.

By the time Kevin was done, they had both finished their beers. Without a word, Murphy stood and went into the kitchen for a moment. He returned with a pair of beers. Taking his seat again after handing one of the beers to Kevin, Murphy stared at the ceiling for a moment trying to phrase his question. "So these Death Eaters had that funky aura around them like when we have been given an assignment?"

Kevin just nodded not bothering to say anything. He was surprised at how calmly Murphy had taken the whole thing.

"Fuck, Kev what if this is what Uriel was talking about? Remember, he said that there was a great evil here and you were chosen to fight it? I think it could be these Death Eaters and Voldemort. It's the only explanation we have for being over here. Somehow, I doubt we were sent to bring more organized crime bosses to justice. There is enough of that to take care of in the US without us having to leave the country."

Eyes widened a little in panic but almost as quickly it was followed by anger. Kevin could feel it bubbling in his chest again, waiting to burst out. "Those fucking people, they can't handle their problems so we get stuck with it!" He hissed out trying to avoid waking Connor up despite his anger.

Murphy just snorted, Kevin's swearing was nothing new to him. "Hey, it's not all bad. It should be easy enough to check out. All we need to do is get a hold of the newspaper that Preacher told us about. I bet your professor can help us there. Once we get confirmation, we can come up with a plan to take these bastards out."

Kevin looked at Murphy a little nervously "Do you think we can do it?"

"Oh fuck yeah, sure they have magic but how is that really any more dangerous than a gun. A bullet to the brain will kill anything I don't care if they are the fucking wizard of Oz. It's hard to do anything with your brain splattered on the wall."

"Thanks for the image Murph. I was getting hungry but that's gone now." Kevin paused for a moment and watched the muted TV not really seeing whatever was on the screen. One thing his talk with Sirius showed him was how little they knew about the magic world. "If we do this, we're going to need to learn a lot more about the magic world."

"The magic world, have you been smoking something I should know about?" Murphy asked with a laugh. It sounded so ridiculous but sadly was an accurate name.

Kevin stared at him in confusion for a second before laughing along with Murphy. It took them a moment to calm down but Kevin didn't wait. He made his way to the kitchen while he was still laughing. His head was buzzing lightly from the three beers he had finished in a relatively short amount of time but now he wanted something a little stronger.

Murphy heard glasses clinking and cabinets opening and closing. He was about to go and see what Kevin was doing when Kevin came back into the room with a bottle of Bushmills Irish Whiskey and two shot glasses. Murphy watched silently as Kevin filled each glass with a healthy amount of whiskey. Even before he reached out and grabbed one, Kevin downed one and was refilling it. "Something you're not telling me?"

Shaking his head, Kevin just replied "No, I just feel the need to get really drunk tonight."

Murphy grabbed the bottle from Kevin's hand. "There's nothing sadder than getting drunk at home. Call it a night and we will hit the pubs tomorrow."

After glaring at Murphy for a minute, Kevin got up and went to bed.

**November 19th, 1998**

**_Kensington, London UK_**

A groan broke the silence in Kevin's bedroom. It was close to 10 in the morning by the time he rolled out of bed, a light headache the only reminder of the previous night. Grabbing a change of clothes he made his way to the bathroom for a quick shower. Hair combed and teeth brushed, Kevin finished getting dressed and then went to the kitchen to grab breakfast.

He could smell fresh coffee and it was making his mouth water. Obviously, Connor must be taking another sick day otherwise there wouldn't be any coffee left. A grunt was his only greeting for his older brother. Even with the shower, he was still in the process of waking up. A bowl and cereal were already on the table so he sat down after pouring himself a cup of coffee. Kevin inhaled the aroma with a sigh of pleasure and took a long slow sip feeling the pleasant warmth spread as it poured down his throat into his stomach.

Connor just looked up from the newspaper and laughed at Kevin's expression of bliss. He looked like a junky getting a fix. "One of these days, I'm going to find you main lining coffee."

"It's not nice to make fun of an addiction." Kevin put his half empty mug on the table and traded it for a bowl of cereal.

Connor snorted but didn't say anything else and went back to reading the newspaper. Nothing more was said until Kevin had finished eating and washing his bowl in the sink. "I talked with Murph this morning. He told me that your meeting was a little more exciting than we expected." He said in a deadpan tone.

"That's the understatement of the year."

"We are going to need a contact in the magic world. Is your professor trustworthy enough to provide us with information?"

"I think so. He doesn't need to know what we need the information for at any rate and I really don't know him well enough to take him too deep into our confidence."

Looking injured, Connor said "I wasn't suggesting that you do. You're probably going to need to get close to him."

Connor noticed that Kevin looked a little lost. Something was going on with him that he hadn't shared with Murphy the other night. "So are you going to tell me whatever it was that you didn't tell Murph?" Connor asked insightfully.

Kevin just looked at Connor sadly for a moment before nodding. "Sirius Black is my godfather if you trust the spell he cast to prove it anyway."

Connor wasn't sure what he had been expecting Kevin to say, but that definitely wasn't it. His surprise was quickly replaced by a cold anger. He remembered their mom telling them how she had found Kevin in an alley abandoned. The newspaper crumpled in his clenched fists as he spat out "What did that bastard have to say for himself? I hope he didn't expect you to welcome him with open arms?"

Kevin felt a warm glow from Connor's protective nature. He almost laughed when he remembered he had virtually the same reaction the night before. "I think he hoped I would but needless to say it didn't happen. I gave him a piece of my mind about him and my parents."

"So what happened?"

Kevin cleared his throat "He told me that my parents were killed the day before I was abandoned. Some friend of theirs ignored their will and left me at my only relative's house. They were the ones that abandoned me."

Connor visibly deflated when Kevin explained to him what happened to his parents and how he ended up with his aunt and uncle. He also described his role in defeating Voldemort the first time around. "So you are the hero of the magic world huh? It kind of makes sense with what we have been doing and our reason for being over here. How are you going to deal with Black?"

"I told him I needed some time to think things through. I guess I will give him a chance; it wasn't his fault he was thrown into jail without a trial. Like you said, we need a contact in that world plus he said there is some group that has been searching for me for years so he could be useful."

"Why are they looking for you?"

"Because they can't solve their own fucking problem so they need someone else to do it for them, hell I don't know. But I will call Black and setup an appointment for tomorrow."

Connor laughed softly at Kevin's frustration. "Maybe one of us should go with you next time. You know safety in numbers, plus I want to meet this guy make sure he's on the level."

Pouting Kevin said "I can look after myself you know. I'm not a little kid anymore."

Connor just reached over and patted Kevin softly on the head like a little kid quickly pulling his hand back before Kevin could swat it away. "Sure you can Kev, but what are big brothers for? I'll always look out for you, it's part of the job description."

Kevin just rolled his eyes and left muttering to himself about overbearing older brothers.

**November 19th, 1998**

_**Kensington, London UK**_

Connor was sitting in the living room of the flat, dressed in a pair of blue jeans and a black t-shirt. A cup of coffee was in his hand and the TV was on while he waited for Kevin to finish getting ready. They were supposed to be meeting with Sirius Black soon and per his promise, Connor was going with Kevin to this meeting. After looking at his watch again, Connor called out loudly "Come on Kev, get your ass in gear."

A disturbingly high pitched giggle coming from Kevin's bedroom could be heard in the living room. It was followed by the thump of someone falling over. Connor shuddered when he heard more of the giggling, this time it was accompanied by Kevin's deeper laugh. Raising his eyes, asked god "Why me?"

A few minutes later, the bedroom door opened and Kevin walked out dressed in jeans and a white long sleeved turtleneck. He was followed by a petite blond, maybe 5'5 but she looked to be a little older than Kevin. Not that he would ever admit it to Kevin, but Connor was impressed with Kevin's latest conquest. She was curvy in the right places without about overweight and she had the most gorgeous blue eyes.

Neither one acknowledged Connor's presence. Kevin just walked her to the door and gave her a long slow kiss before whispering something in her ear that caused a light blush. She nodded her head quickly before giving Kevin a last peck on the cheek before leaving.

"Based on the blush, I assume you are going to seeing her again?" Connor asked lightly.

It was Kevin's turn to blush. "Yeah, she's a lot of fun to be with."

Connor chuckled softly and said dryly. "I imagine so. I couldn't help but hear you two having fun last night."

Kevin tried to turn the tables on Connor "Jealous? Just because you haven't gotten any in a long time doesn't mean the rest of us have to go without."

"Jealous of you? If you remember, I was the one suggesting you get laid because you were so tense. Hopefully the girl will stay around to keep you relaxed."

Kevin gave up and just grabbed his navy pea coat. "Are you coming or what, we are going to be late?"

Laughing again, Connor got up and put his coat on before walking out with Kevin.

**_Hyde Park, London UK_**

Sirius was sitting nervously on a park bench near one of the entrances to the park. Given the time of year, there were not many people around. Despite the caution that Kevin had taken in setting up the meeting, Sirius was ecstatic that he had heard back from him so quickly. A big part of him had expected Kevin to disappear again.

They were late he muttered. He began drawing shapes in the loose dirt around the bench with the toe of his shoe to distract himself. His head shot up when he heard someone calling out his name. Practically jumping to his feet, Sirius hurried over to where Kevin and another man were waiting for him.

Not wanting to push things, Sirius reached out and shook Kevin's hand by way of greeting rather than pulling him into a hug the way he wanted to. "Kevin, I was so happy you called."

Kevin shrugged "Yeah, well I guess you deserve a chance. I still want to check out what you told me about my parents though."

A quick glance around the area confirmed that they were alone. So Sirius pulled something from his pocket and waved his wand over it. A book quickly expanded in his hand, it was titled 'The Rise and Fall of 20th Century Dark Wizards.' "I thought you might feel that way so I brought this, it details the rise and fall of Voldemort."

Connor cleared his throat conspicuously as Kevin grabbed the book. Looking up, Kevin said quickly "Sirius, this is my brother Connor MacManus. Connor, this is my godfather Sirius Black." The two men shook hands but didn't say anything; it was obvious they were measuring each other up.

"Let's take this somewhere warm. There's a pub right around the corner that should give us enough privacy." Connor suggested.

Once Connor had finished flirting with the waitress and a round of drinks was ordered. Connor and Kevin began grilling Sirius about the magic world. They discussed Voldemort's first rise to power, the wizarding world's reaction to his defeat and his subsequent return. Sirius warned them again about the Order of the Phoenix. Towards the end, Kevin agreed to see Sirius again after receiving an encouraging nod from Connor. Sirius agreed to order a copy of the Daily Prophet for them.

Before they broke up, Kevin asked something that had been bothering him since his first meeting with Sirius. "If I'm a wizard, how come I never received an invitation to Hogwarts or some school in the states?"

"You should have received an invitation, even if you were not in Europe. The United States has 4 or 5 different wizarding schools that you could have gone to. Before your parents died though, you were definitely a wizard, it's possible that something happened to your magic that night you defeated Voldemort. I'll have to see if I can find some sort of test for you to take."

"Even if I am a wizard, I won't leave my brothers." Kevin said forcefully.

Sirius nodded in agreement. "Honestly, I think you'd be better off. You'll understand what I mean after reading that book."

**November 22nd, 1998**

**_Private Room, The Three Broomsticks, Hogsmeade UK_**

Albus Dumbledore was sitting in one of the private rooms of the Three Broomsticks. It was warded to prevent anyone from listening in on the meeting or barging in unexpectedly. The Order of the Phoenix had yet to find a suitable meeting location. Many of the wealthier members from the first war were dead or no longer members. As a result, they were not as well funded and did not have access to facilities other than Hogwarts which was not really suitable during the school year.

The primary concern of the meeting was the same as many of the previous meetings. The location of Harry Potter was their primary topic of discussion. Remus Lupin had just returned from Boston after following up on a lead.

"What do you have for us Remus?" Albus asked calmly.

"Kevin MacManus moved with his family to Boston from Dublin back in the early 80s. He has been living in Boston ever since. He and his brothers were in the papers earlier this year for bringing down part of the Russian mafia." Remus passed around the newspaper clipping he had saved. It included a picture of all three brothers.

Albus looked up eagerly after staring at the photo for a few seconds. The resemblance to James was unmistakable. This had to be Harry Potter.

Remus continued while the clipping made its way around the table. "Based on the photograph, I am virtually certain that Kevin is Harry Potter. As far as we could tell, he never went to a magic school and probably knows nothing of the wizarding world. Unfortunately, we lost the trail after he graduated from high school. He and his family moved and no one seems to know where they went."

"What about that detective? Has he had any other information to pass to Sirius?" Arthur Weasley asked while his wife muttered something about the poor boy not knowing his heritage and being forced to live with muggles.

Remus shook his head. "No, there's been nothing further between the two. He probably learned as much as we did."

Albus took charge again "Well, we will organize teams to cast locating charms in the major cities of the US. Now that we have a name to search for, we may have better success. Hopefully one of them will turn up a trace of Mr. Potter."

Mundungus Fletcher chose that moment to rouse himself from his semi-drunken stupor. "There's been someone asking around about him in Knockturn Alley. They are trying to get any information available."

Albus felt a cold stab of fear in his chest. If the Death Eaters found Harry before he did, the war could be lost. "Are they Death Eaters? What have they learned?"

"That's just it; the one asking all the questions is a muggle. He goes by the name of Preacher."

"Why would a muggle be looking for information on Harry Potter?"

"Don't know, but the man has a reputation even in the wizarding world as a reliable source of information. Some of my associates have used his services and swear by the quality of his information."

"Interesting, I wonder if this muggle has more recent information on Mr. Potter or Kevin MacManus." Albus mused. "Mundungus see what you can find out about this Preacher fellow. If necessary, bring him in so we can question him. Perhaps he has some information we can use to find Mr. Potter."

Mundungus shook his head. "That won't work. The man is well connected especially for a muggle. We would be better off, hiring him to get the information we are looking for."

Albus nodded his head in acquiescence. "Very well, approach him with an offer but we will leave the other option in reserve for now."


	4. The Stage is Set

A/N: I do not own Harry Potter & Co. or The Boondock Saints.

A/N 2: I don't know how long this will be, but the first chapter will take you from Voldemort's downfall up to the end of year 7.

**Chapter 4: The Stage is Set**

**November 22nd, 1998**

**_Malfoy Mansion, Cornwall UK_**

Narcissa Malfoy was desperate. Her husband, Lucius had not been home for days now. The last time she had seen him, he and Severus had been preparing to go and kill Sirius Black so that her son Draco would be able to claim the Black fortune as the last male heir. Something must have gone wrong though, because the pair of them had never returned that night.

Now, she had to go and face the Dark Lord. She knew Lucius would often delay whenever he was called. Willing to suffer the burning pain from the dark mark in order to salvage a bit of his pride at having to kneel before the Dark Lord. Even though the Dark Lord was incredibly powerful, a Malfoy bows before no one. Unlike her husband, she did not have the courage to make the Dark Lord wait.

After striding over to a cabinet in her husband's study, she opened it up and grabbed a pale yellow potion. With a grimace, she downed the contents of the potion in one swallow and almost immediately felt her nerves calm. With a flick of her wrist, her wand snapped into her hand. She pressed the tip against the dark mark on her left arm and apparated away. The new security measure ensured that only those with the dark mark could apparate into the Dark Lord's presence.

She arrived in a dark, musty chamber. It was heavily warded and the only door was sealed until opened from the outside. More than 10 minutes passed before the door opened. In that time, Narcissa had smoothed the folds of her long midnight blue silk dress. Her jewelry was carefully arranged to hint at the wealth at her fingertips without being ostentatious.

Gracefully striding across the floor, Narcissa stepped through the door into her Lord's main chamber. As she had expected there was a group of close to 20 people waiting. It seemed to be the typical number at the gatherings. Whether that was intentional to disguise the strength of his forces from potential spies or if he truly hadn't rebuilt his powerbase, Narcissa was not sure.

The crowd separated to allow Narcissa to approach their lord. Neither hurrying nor walking slowly, Narcissa made her way to the raised platform on which sat Lord Voldemort. Kneeling smoothly, she lowered her head almost reverently and kissed the hem of his robes. As was custom, she remained kneeling until acknowledged by Voldemort.

Voldemort's said in a sibilant voice "Rise Narcissa. Now tell me where is Lucius and why has he not answered my call?"

Narcissa rose from the floor and took a step back but she kept her head bowed. Her blond hair falling to frame the sides of her face. "I don't know my lord. He left days ago with Severus Snape to deal with my cousin Sirius Black. They planned to make a gift of the Black fortune to you."

Voldemort made no move but his eyes flared and glowed an intense deep red. "Did they fail Narcissa and are afraid to face me or are they captured?"

Narcissa knew she was walking a tightrope at the moment. The wrong answer would see her punished if she were lucky and dead if she were not. Damn Lucius for putting her in this position. "Surely it would have been in the Daily Prophet if they were arrested my lord." She paused and nervously licked her lips before continuing. "It's possible they are being held by Muggle authorities since my cousin made no secret about leaving the wizarding world."

"_Reducto!" _The crimson spell exploded at Narcissa's feet, throwing her hard to the stone floor. She let out a soft moan from the pain. Her calves were covered in shallow cuts from the small pieces of stone that were blasted away from the floor. "How could two of my Inner Circle be in the hands of Muggles? Those animals will be punished for this."

Still shaky and in pain, Narcissa staggered to her feet and waited for Voldemort's orders. Not a single word was said by any of the other Death Eaters for fear of angering Voldemort. Nervous glances were exchanged and there was some shuffling of feet as the silence grew longer.

After a minute had passed in utter silence, Voldemort's voice called out "Avery I want you to take a handful of Death Eaters and find Black. I want to know what happened to Lucius and Severus."

Avery's strong voice called out from the middle of the group as others scrambled away from him. "My lord, do you want us to kill Black? What would you have us do if they are being held by….muggles" He all but spat the last part.

"Yes, Black deserves death for betraying his family. Do nothing if the muggles are holding Lucius and Severus, their rescue would be an excellent opportunity to strike fear into the muggle scum. They will learn their place in the new order of things."

Narcissa began to step back into the crowd wanting nothing more than to sink back into the shadows. Before she could take more than two steps, Voldemort's attention swung back towards her. Swallowing reflexively, she stopped and waited for whatever fate would befall her.

"Narcissa I expect to see Draco at the next gathering. It is time that he takes my mark."

"Of course my lord. He has been waiting for the call." Inwardly, she felt her hopes collapse. This was not a life she wanted for Draco. It had been her hope that he would be able to escape taking the dark mark but fate it seemed had other plans. Now she could only pray that Voldemort's campaign was more successful than his first rise to power.

**November 23rd, 1998**

_**Putney, London, UK**_

Sirius ran his hand through his shaggy black hair. It was definitely time to get a haircut. His hand reached out and grabbed his toothbrush; he spent a minute brushing his teeth before spitting out the toothpaste. Emerging from the bathroom, he pulled on a pair black cotton pants and a green turtleneck. Fully dressed, Sirius opened the door to his flat and retrieved the newspaper on his way into the kitchen for breakfast.

A cup of coffee sat steaming on the kitchen table in front of him as he started to read the paper. There on the front page was yet another story about the Saints of South Boston. Sirius decided he would ask Harry what he knew about them. It would be interesting to hear his take on the vigilantes. Sirius didn't really have anything against them, he had been part of a vigilante group himself so he could understand the need to strike against injustice when it seemed like the system wasn't working.

_**Saints of South Boston Here to Stay?**_

_**By**_

_**Madeline Hostwell**_

_It appears that the Saints of South Boston struck again last night. This time their target was none other than Anthony Fucelli, widely rumored to be head of the Italian mafia in the United Kingdom. Last night's action was quite different than their previous killings, perhaps as a result of the security protecting the Fucelli compound In their previous attacks both here and in Boston, the Saints' victims were not found until the next day, with the notable exception of the courthouse attack._

_A noted recluse, Anthony Fucelli rarely left the safety of his family compound. Last night, that security was not enough to prevent a trio of men dressed in black wearing masks and gloves from entering and assassinating Anthony Fucelli and three of his top lieutenants. _

_The calm of the night was shattered by an explosion at the front gate that twisted the wrought iron gate until it was unrecognizable. Using the explosion as cover, the Saints climbed over a wall on the east side of the compound as evidenced by roped and equipment left behind. One inside the compound, the trio entered the mansion while the guards were securing the main gate._

_Video tapes released by the police show a gun fight occurring outside of Anthony Fucelli's study. His body guards held off the Saints for close to five minutes before they were finally gunned down. One of the trio kicked in the door and was followed in by the other two. Like his body guards before him, Anthony Fucelli died in a hail of gunfire. His body and those of his lieutenants and body guards were left face up with coins covering their eyes, the now familiar calling card of the Saints._

_Police believe that one of the Saints was injured in an explosion when they were fleeing the compound. Video footage shows the three men falling to the ground. Two of the men can clearly be seen carrying the third man out of the compound as the remaining guards were rushing into the mansion._

_The search goes on for the Saints of South Boston. Police are asking the community to report any information no matter how inconsequential. The question remains though, how responsive will the community be? To date, the Saints have not hurt a single bystander; their only victims have been those criminals that have long escaped justice. Do the Saints deserve prosecution or praise? It is a question that each reader must answer for themselves._

The article went on to describe other crimes both in London and the US that have been attributed to the Saints. Sirius didn't bother reading the rest; he had been keeping up with the story ever since their first appearance here in London.

A quick glance at the clock on the wall told him that he had to hurry if he wanted to make it to class on time. The empty coffee cup was rinsed out and put on the side of the sink to dry. On his way out the door, Sirius grabbed his heavy wool coat and put it on as he was leaving. Bag in hand, Sirius jumped into a taxi, not up to dealing with the tube.

The cab pulled up to the campus and Sirius got out after paying. He was at the door to the classroom with 10 minutes to spare. He was unlocking the door when he heard someone fall, followed by a lot of swearing. Following the sound of expletives, Sirius walked around the corner. Sprawled on the ground was his godson Kevin. On the ground on either side of him was a pair of crutches and there was a dark blue knee brace on his right knee.

Sirius held out his hand to help him stand. Kevin glanced up to see who was helping him. When he noticed it was Sirius, he relaxed and grabbed onto Sirius' hand, letting himself be hoisted back to his feet. Once he was standing, he realized, he could get his crutches though. Turning to Sirius with an embarrassed look he asked "Umm, could you get my crutches for me?"

Sirius just grinned at him before bending over and retrieving the crutches and Kevin's backpack. "What happened to your knee?"

Kevin paused just long enough to set off warning bells in Sirius' mind. "It was a late night at the pub. I fell down the stairs and twisted my knee." Adding with a rueful shake of his head he added "My brothers will never let me hear the end of it no doubt."

Sirius didn't believe a word of it. Kevin was hiding the real reason but this wasn't the place to confront him about it. "Kevin, I have to get to class but how about we meet up for dinner tomorrow."

"Sure, that'd be good." Relieved that he would have more time to refine his story.

"Tomorrow, 7:30 at the same pub as the other day." Sirius said.

"I'll be there."

**_Kensington, London, UK_**

Connor walked into the apartment and found Kevin asleep on the couch with his leg elevated. On the coffee table were an empty glass and a prescription bottle. He just shook his head, the pain must have been pretty bad because Kevin was never a big fan of pain killers. Always claimed they left him feeling out of it for days.

Connor thought that Kevin was also afraid of getting addicted to the powerful narcotics. They had seen a lot of people in their old neighborhood die because of drug addiction. After grabbing a beer from the refrigerator, he came back and turned the TV on with the volume low so he wouldn't wake Kevin.

Later, Kevin groaned softly and opened his eyes. He stared blearily at the TV trying to remember where he was when he realized that the TV had been off when he fell asleep. His head swiveled slowly to see who was in the room with him. The chair was empty but there were a couple of empty beer bottles on the coffee table.

Connor chose that moment to walk back into the room with another beer and a sandwich. "It's about time you woke your lazy ass up." Blank eyes stared at Connor. Kevin wasn't kidding when he said how the pain killers affected him.

"Huh…"

Connor laughed and took another swallow of beer. He ate his sandwich and watched as Kevin slowly cleared the cobwebs from his head. "You hungry?" He asked around a mouthful of turkey sandwich.

Kevin's eyes were no longer blank but he was still a little low on the uptake. Just when Connor started to smile Kevin started in a raspy voice "Yeah, a sandwich would be good and a beer."

Connor didn't say anything; he just disappeared into the kitchen for a few minutes while he threw something together. He came out with two sandwiches and a glass of milk rather than a beer. When Kevin saw the milk, he cast a disgusted look in Connor's direction. Connor just grinned unrepentantly "You know you can't have alcohol with the Vicodin that you're on."

"Fucking things, I don't need it anyway." Kevin grumbled while he ate his sandwich while staring accusingly at the prescription bottle.

"Why'd you take 'em if you hate them so much?" Connor asked curiously.

"I fell at school, hit a fucking patch of water and one of my crutches shot right out from under me."

Connor winced, that had to hurt like a bitch. "Any problems getting home?"

"No, Sirius heard me fall and helped me up. I was already done with my appointment so I jumped in a cab. I wouldn't of been able to handle the stairs at the tube stations."

Connor wasn't one to take things at face value and voiced his doubt "It's a little convenient that he was there at the same time you fell."

Kevin smiled; one of the constants in his life was Connor's suspicious nature when it came to possible threats to their family. "Actually for once, it was just a coincidence. He had a class to teach." Before Connor could voice another doubt Kevin continued "I even watched him teach for a few minutes, so I know he wasn't telling lying."

Connor looked mollified and strangely proud, like he was happy that his suspicious nature was rubbing off on his brother. Content, Connor turned his attention back to the TV and continued to drink his beer.

"How's your knee now?"

"It's better, still aches but nothing I can't handle." He put the empty plate onto the coffee table and added "Umm, Sirius asked how I got hurt and I don't think he believed my story. He wants to meet up tomorrow night for dinner, probably to talk more about my knee."

After letting Connor swear for a minute, Kevin described the encounter and his story to Connor. "Maybe Murphy and I can go with you. You know, make it a family event besides Murphy hasn't met the guy yet."

"Yeah, that's a good idea. Besides we are going to need someone on the inside of the wizarding world for this mission."

"That's not all we're going to need." Connor replied.

"What do you mean?"

"It means that I heard from Smecker today. I gave him the rundown on what's been going on, not just with our list job but the whole wizarding world in general."

Kevin stared wide eyed at his brother. "You didn't tell him who I am to the wizarding world did you?"

"Give me a little credit Kev, I'm not going to college but I am far from stupid. While I may trust Smecker to help us out, it doesn't mean I am going to share everything with the man. But he did have some disturbing news about you."

"What?"

"One of Smecker's contacts told him that Preacher has been asking around about you. He's been trying to get more background on when mom found you in Dublin."

"Fuck, it wouldn't take much for him to make the connection between me and Harry Potter if you know what you are looking for."

"I know we are going to have to be careful with how we deal with him in the future."

They continued to talk about ways to deal with Preacher and what to do if he continued to dig into Kevin's background. The last thing they needed was Preacher selling that information to someone in the wizarding world. Other topics came up while they waited for Murphy to get back from work. Most of

them were related to how they would handle things in the wizarding world and what information they would need.

The biggest problem they were facing currently was their lack of knowledge about the wizarding world in general. They needed to feel Sirius out, find out if the man could be trusted. If so, he would be an invaluable resource. The brothers needed to find out what wizards did for security and where they lived. Also, more critical they needed to get photographs of this Voldemort and his associates. There was no use waiting for an article to be published in the wizarding press.

Kevin also said they were going to need to reach out to their contacts for more supplies. The last mission had used up most of their explosives. More were going to be needed, especially if the wizards were as insular as Sirius described. They would never expect to be attacked using non-magical weapons like guns and C-4.

"So we're decided then, that we will feel Sirius out tomorrow night at dinner?" Kevin asked.

"I think so, we'll run it by Murphy first to get his take but unless he disagrees."

_**Soho, London, UK**_

Mundungus Fletcher approached the door nervously. Despite his contact with criminals from the muggle world, he himself had spent virtually no time outside of the wizarding world. He knew though that Preacher set the terms of all contact with him. If someone wanted information from him, they had to be willing to meet his conditions.

At the prearranged time, he knocked on the door. Seconds later, the door opened and he found himself staring down what he suspected was the barrel of a muggle gun. He couldn't be sure though, he had only heard of them through his associates, he'd never actually seen one.

"Mundungus Fletcher?" A cold hard voice asked.

Mundungus stammered, his voice cracking slightly "Y…yes, I assume you're Preacher."

"No, but he's waiting for you inside." The voice said before lowing the weapon and waving Mundungus inside.

Fletcher tentatively stepped inside surveying his surroundings. He saw that the apartment was bare of anything that would give insight into the owner. There was no artwork, the furniture was generic and there was nothing to distinguish it in anyway. Once Fletcher stepped inside, he was grabbed from behind and searched. He was only released when they had grabbed his wand from his wrist holster.

Another figure stepped out of the shadows and addressed Mundungus. "So Mr. Fletcher, now that the unpleasantness has been taken care of, what can I do for you?"

**November 24th, 1998**

**_Hog's Head, Hogsmeade, UK_**

Albus was once again leading a meeting of the Order of the Phoenix. Tonight however, only the most trusted members, those who had been with him in the first war against Voldemort were present. Anyone who knew Albus would be confused. On the surface, he appeared to be his usual benevolent self willing to give anyone the benefit of the doubt. However, to those who knew the man, he also was giving off a subtle feeling of anxiety or fear.

There were only five people in the room with him. Alastor Moody, the ex-Auror, Mundungus Fletcher, Remus Lupin, and Arthur and Molly Weasley. Albus was the last to arrive. He sealed the room with a privacy ward to prevent anyone from overhearing their discussion before calling the meeting to order.

People quickly settled into chairs spread around the table and talk quieted so that Albus could begin the meeting. "There are two orders of business tonight. The first is Severus Snape. He has been missing for several days now." He said without preamble.

Moody was the first to speak up. Unlike the others, he refused to sit at the table; instead he was standing at a ready position in the rear of the room. From that position, he could not be taken by surprise. "So the snake finally slithered back to his master, I've told you for years not to trust the man."

Albus brushed off the comment as he had so many others before it. Few in the Order trusted Severus and Albus had never shared the reasons behind his own trust. "Alastor, you know that Severus has sacrificed much for our side. He deserves your trust, but I fear he may have become compromised."

The group fell silent; the implications if Albus was correct were not good. Not only could their operations be compromised but the torture he would face at Voldemort's hands was something no one deserved. Though the man was disliked by most and hated by some, none of them would ever think of exposing him to Voldemort as a spy.

Remus was used to controlling his emotions as a werewolf and pulled himself together first. In a subdued voice, he asked "Was he called to a meeting? When did he disappear?"

Albus let out a soft sigh before his body sank in on itself a little in apparent sadness. "He left on the 18th for a meeting with Lucius Malfoy. He said there was some personal business he needed to take care of. That is the last time that I heard from him."

Mundungus straightened in his chair, the smell of alcohol wafting off of him. In truth, he didn't drink nearly as much as people thought but in his line of work, it helped to be underestimated. "Lucius Malfoy?"

"Yes, why have you heard something?" Albus asked eagerly. Maybe his old friend wasn't dead.

Mundungus shook his head "No, I don't have any information on Snape but I do know that someone has been asking around about Lucius Malfoy. Apparently he has gone missing."

Moody snorted "So the snakes have run off together. Maybe they decided to stay on the sidelines until everything was all over. Snape always did look out for himself before anything else."

"Mundungus please try and find out anything you can. In this instance Alastor may be onto something. We need to know for sure though." Albus said ignoring Moody's comment.

Molly asked "What about Harry is there any word on him? That poor boy probably has no idea of who he is. He belongs here with us."

All eyes turned to Mundungus. He had met with preacher the previous night to see what the man knew about Harry Potter and why he was looking into his background. "Yes, well Preacher was not very forthcoming I'm afraid. He refused to tell me why he had been asking about Harry but he was willing to sell me information that he had on Kevin MacManus."

"What did you find out?" Remus asked eagerly. His eyes lighting up at the prospect of reuniting with Harry after all this time.

"Nothing. He wants 100,000 galleons for the information. It was more than I was prepared to pay, that and I don't have access to that much gold."

The room exploded, everyone speaking at once. It was a phenomenal sum of money and would severely stretch their available funds. It was yet another reason for Albus to get a hold of Harry, the Potter vaults would be an invaluable resource lying untouched for so long.

"Quiet!" Albus' voice boomed out, silencing everyone immediately.

Alastor suggested "He's a muggle, just use Veritaserum on him. He won't have any defense then we don't have to waste our money."

Mundungus shook his head "I don't think that would work. He knows all about the wizarding world and he no doubt has contingency plans in place for something like that."

However Albus agreed with Alastor, the money was too great a sum to throw away if there were alternatives. "I disagree, he may know about our world but he can't understand how to defend himself against it. We will try Alastor's approach and if it doesn't work we can always pay the galleons for the information."

The decision made, Alastor grabbed Remus and dragged him over to Mundungus. The three of them began to formulate a plan of attack for the meeting with Preacher the following night.

_**Hyde Park, London, UK**_

Sirius was sitting at the bar in the pub waiting for Kevin to arrive. Since he had helped Kevin yesterday he had managed to convince himself that whatever had happened to Kevin, it had nothing to do with his brothers. Connor had been too protective of Kevin to have any role in his getting hurt. So maybe it really had happened as Kevin said.

He was just about to order another beer when he heard someone call out his name. He spun around on the bar stool to see Kevin standing near the entrance with Connor and who he could only assume was the other brother Murphy. The four men grabbed a table in the rear of the pub. The table gave Kevin extra room to stretch his leg and would make it easier to talk.

Before they sat down, Kevin introduced Sirius to Murphy. The two men eyed each other weighing the other man before shaking hands. Kevin rolled his eyes at the two before settling into the chair and leaning his crutches against the wall.

The waitress came around a couple of minutes later and beers were ordered, except for Kevin who was forced to order a Coke. They spent the time chatting learning more about the brothers' time growing up. Sirius was thrilled to learn more about Kevin's childhood. It was obvious that the three brothers were extremely close.

By the time the meal was over, they had moved on to Sirius' experiences in the wizarding world. They learned a lot about the way the wizarding world did things, where they lived and how they protected their homes.

Of course not everything had gone smoothly, Murphy in particular had squared off a couple of times when he thought that Sirius was getting a little too personal. In both cases, it was quickly smoothed over when Kevin reminded him that Sirius was his godfather and just wanted to learn more about how he had grown up since the man had missed so much of his life.

The dinner ended with another promise to meet up in a few days time for dinner. Kevin also talked to Sirius privately about having lunch with the man the next day just the two of them. The grin that had spread across Sirius' face could be anyone in the pub. Kevin was warming up to him, reaching out to Sirius on his own without Sirius initiating it first. For the first time in years, Sirius felt like everything was going to be ok. The feeling was even stronger than we he first found out about Kevin.

Once the brothers were back at their apartment, they sat down and talked about what they had learned.

Connor asked "So what do you think?"

Murphy replied "We are going to need help. If what we learned tonight is only half accurate, we will never find these people on own. We are going to need at least one wizard with us."

Both Connor and Kevin agreed. Kevin brought up something he had been thinking about all night. "Do you think we can trust Sirius?" He thought they could but he wanted to hear his brothers' opinions. Because ultimately, it was all three of their lives that would be in danger if they shared their secret with him.

Connor was silent. Despite how much he was coming to like Sirius, he was leery of bringing anyone else in. Smecker was an exception, he had figured things out on his own and the brothers really had no choice. They could either let the man help them on occasion or face a manhunt led by the FBI.

Murphy surprised both of them. "I think we can trust him. The guy obviously loves Kevin; the expression on his face when Kevin invited him to lunch was evidence of that."

Kevin was relieved that Murphy was siding with him. "Besides we can always get him to swear one of those wizard's oaths first."

Connor looked at Kevin shrewdly "Are you sure you not just saying that because he is your godfather?"

"I won't deny that I like the man. Don't get me wrong, I love you guys and I will always love mom but it was still a relief to know that my birth parents didn't abandon. You've heard the stories, they both died to save my life, Sirius is part of that. Honestly, I think he would do whatever he could to help us. Still, like I said we need to get an oath from his first. I won't put you two at risk."

Murphy finished the discussion "Let's play it Kevin's way for now. Worst case scenario we take Sirius out. Let's face it; we don't have too many options unless we want to approach Preacher. I for one don't trust the man that much to take something likes this to him."

**November 25th, 1998**

_**Tower of London, London UK**_

Mundungus approached the Tower of London. He had a bad feeling about this. The location itself had taken him by surprise. How was a muggle able to get access to the Tower after hours? It was easy for a wizard to get in. The plan was simple and in the back of his mind a little voice was screaming at him that it was doomed to failure.

Based on the first meeting, the three men assumed that Preacher would have some wizard or witch put up wards preventing portkeys and apparition. Instead, Remus and Moody would be disillusioned and would enter at the same time as Fletcher to take Preacher and whatever guards he had with him by surprise. Then it would be a simple matter of a little Veritaserum. The Order would have the information they needed and not have to drain a good portion of their funds in the process.

In theory, the plan was a good one. Simple, straight forward, there was little that could go wrong. Or so they thought. Years ago, Preacher had security cameras installed or upgraded at any of his normal locations for a meet. The Tower of London was no exception. The cameras had been replaced with the latest military issue surveillance equipment. It was programmed to work like a typical security camera unless activated with a specific code known only to Preacher and his men. Then the cameras viewed everything in both the infrared and visible spectrums.

So it came as no surprise to Preacher that two men arrived with Fletcher. He found it interesting though that they only showed up on the infrared camera. Instincts hone over years as an information broker screamed double-cross. He found it funny that the wizards had not checked to see if there were any magical defenses in place. If they had, they would have found none, but because in Preacher's experience they tended to dismiss anything non-magic they would assume he would be relying on magic for his protection.

Preacher gave the order when Fletcher knocked on the door. The wizards never heard a thing. Each felt a sharp sting on their back or neck. Remus was the last to collapse after pulling a small dart from his neck. As his world turned black he saw the door open and a pair of men emerge.

With his werewolf metabolism, Remus was the first to throw off the effects of the tranquilizer. Moaning he realized that his arms were tied together behind his back. Likewise his legs were shackled to an anchor in the floor. Turning his head to the side he saw that Mundungus and Moody were similarly bound. Seated in front of them was, based on Mundungus' description, Preacher. The man was calmly sipping a glass of wine while he watched Remus with a small smirk on his face.

"So the little wizard wakes up, what should I do with you?" Preacher said musingly.

Remus tried to dissemble "We were just here to ensure that you did nothing to endanger our friend."

"Of course, of course it was all an innocent mistake. Then again, you blatantly broke the rules of our meeting. So give me a reason why I shouldn't just kill you now and walk away."

Frantically, Remus tried to think of something that would save them. "We'll double your payment." He said desperately.

Preacher's smirk grew larger and he poured himself another glass of wine. He swirled the dark red liquid around the glass slowly as if lost in thought. "That is an acceptable proposal. I'm afraid I will require payment upfront before I give you any information. After all, one must have trust in my line of work and sadly you have lost mine."

Fletcher and Moody were shaken awake after the deal had been finalized. The bindings on Remus' arms were released so he could retrieve the payment from the Gringott's pouch he was carrying. He had only to specify the sum and it appeared in the pouch. Mundungus' eyes almost fell out of his head when he heard the sum. He only prayed that the information was worth it.

For the next twenty minutes, Preacher shared the information he had gathered linking Harry Potter to Kevin MacManus. He passed along his knowledge of his life in Boston, the type of person he was, a description of his brothers and last and perhaps most important to the Order, Preacher told them that Kevin was currently living in London.

The last of his information give, Preacher ordered his men to release the three.

Before the three men could leave Preacher gave them one final piece of information. "Gentlemen one piece of advice, and I won't even charge you for it."

Alastor turned back towards Preacher annoyed with the man and his own failure. "What?" He snapped.

"I don't really care why you wanted this information but if you value your lives I wouldn't mess the MacManus brothers in fact you would be better off forgetting everything you have learned here tonight."

Remus who was feeling more hopeful than he had felt in a long time couldn't help but ask "Why?"

Preacher just shook his head and motioned for his men to escort them out. "You don't have enough money for that information and I'm not dumb enough to sell it to you if I did."

With that the members of the Order left. Remus was lost in thought. What could scare a man like Preacher enough for him to give them such a warning? Harry was the hero of the wizarding world, he would be thrilled to come back and help his people. As much as Remus kept repeating that thought, it didn't stop that tiny whisper of doubt from growing in his mind.


	5. The Game is Afoot

A/N: I do not own Harry Potter & Co. or The Boondock Saints.

**Chapter 5: The Game is Afoot**

**November 25th, 1998**

**_Headmaster's Office, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry, UK_**

It was a confused group of wizards that entered the Headmaster's office that night. Albus looked up from his desk when the door opened and Remus, Alastor, and Mundungus walked in. He felt his curiosity spike; the men looked hopeful but shaken.

After the obligatory offer of tea, Albus waited and listened to the report. Though it wasn't obvious, he was astounded that these men were outmaneuvered by a muggle. The cost of the information while outrageous would be worth it if it brought Harry Potter under his control. It was also ironic that the wizarding world needed to use a muggle in order to find their savior.

Albus couldn't contain his smile of relief. Harry Potter had been found at last. Now that they knew where to search and who to look for, the search should not take much time. "This is excellent news. Now we must find Harry Potter and bring him here."

Alastor as usual was all for an aggressive approach. "Why are we sitting here? Albus, you can cast a locator spell now that we know who and where to look. Potter can be here in Hogwarts tonight."

Albus shook his head. "I will indeed cast the spell tonight to locate him but I want you and Remus to watch him for a few days. We need to have a better understanding of his past if we are going to convince him to fight for us and be the savior the wizarding world needs so badly."

Alastor said gruffly "That's a mistake Albus he is too critical to leave running around. What if the Death Eaters find him? He wouldn't stand a chance."

"We won't be leaving him undefended. You and Remus will be able to get him out of any danger."

Remus asked "What about his brothers? We are going to have to approach Harry carefully because of them."

Alastor snorted inelegantly "Just Obliviate them and be done with it."

Even Fletcher couldn't stomach that one. "That won't work and you know it. You can't Obliviate 18 year's worth of memories and you would have to Obliviate Potter as well."

Albus added reasonably "While it is an option we can keep in reserve, it would no doubt make things more difficult with Mr. Potter in the long run. I will have to think on the best approach to deal with the brothers."

Remus suggested "Once we get a better handle on the situation we could approach Harry and his family like a muggleborn student for Hogwarts. It stands to reason that if we explain the fact that Harry is a wizard to his family, it will make them less suspicious and more accepting."

Albus nodded happily "That is a good idea Remus. In fact, I think you as one of James' friends would be the best to approach them and explain the existence of our world."

They spent a few more minutes discussing plans and the surveillance of Harry. Moody and Remus were going to begin the following morning. Before they left, Albus cast the location spell using Kevin MacManus and London as the foci. Normally, he would have gotten the exact location unless there were wards in place but the spell would only provide a general area where Harry was currently located. Luckily, it was only a few square blocks so it shouldn't be too difficult to find him.

Remus felt lighter as he made his way off the Hogwarts grounds so he could apparated to his home. Not only had they found Harry but they would approach him rather peacefully than drag him into the wizarding world like Sirius had always worried about. Part of him wanted to let Sirius know that they had found Harry right here in London, but he was afraid of what the man would do. No, once Harry was back where he belonged, safely ensconced at Hogwarts only then would Remus tell Sirius that they had found his godson.

**November 26th, 1998**

_**Kensington, London, UK**_

Connor had just emerged from his bedroom. He was still rubbing sleep from his eyes and his hair was standing in all different directions. His eyes traveled slowly around the apartment and did not see Kevin anywhere. This time of morning, he would usually be reading the newspaper but the living room was empty meaning Kevin had probably left already. Slow, shuffling steps took him into the kitchen where he found a semi-awake Murphy drinking a cup of black coffee.

After finding a clean mug in one of the kitchen cabinets, Connor poured himself a cup of coffee and inhaled the aroma before taking a sip. Gradually, the coffee did its job and Connor began to wake up.

Murphy, in a similar state, turned to him and asked "What the fuck were we thinking setting this meeting for 7:30 in the morning?"

Connor nodded in agreement "Don't blame me; Kevin is the one who set the time. He should know by now that you need as much beauty rest as possible."

"If it wasn't so damned early I'd make you eat that but as it is, I will settle for beating the crap out of Kevin next time I get a chance."

"Aye, it's only fair after all. Do you think this is a good idea, you know bringing Sirius into this?" Connor asked suddenly his tone losing any humor.

Murphy was silent. He just sat staring into the coffee mug contemplating his answer. "I hope so. Even if he is willing though, it is going to take a while for me to trust him. It has been just the three of us ever since mom died and it feels strange to add someone new to the mix."

"I know, but we really don't have much of a choice. We have no experience with this magic crap and by the sounds of things we wouldn't really be able to get around without help of some sort. Better we take someone who at least has a connection to us than some random stranger or mercenary."

Nothing more was said, the two brothers sat in the kitchen continuing to drink coffee while they waited for Kevin to return with Sirius Black.

_**Meanwhile at a nearby tube station**_

Kevin was waiting for Sirius. It was just after 7:30 so he should be here any minute now. His stomach was fluttering and he felt incredibly anxious. Kevin hadn't been this nervous for quite a while. Even when those Russian mobsters barged into the apartment he hadn't been nervous just resigned that he was going to die. This was different though, he was just starting to get to know Sirius and enjoyed the man's company, he didn't want to give that up if at all possible, but depending on his reaction this morning, it may be necessary.

He was broken from his thoughts abruptly when a hand squeezed his shoulder. Barely stopping himself from drawing his pistol, he turned to see the smiling face of Sirius Black. The man was laughing at him Kevin realized and a light blush spread across his face. Refusing to give him any further ammunition, Kevin just held out his hand. Sirius just smiled again shook it.

Kevin looked into Sirius' eyes, taking a measure of the man once again before beginning "Sirius, I need a wizard's oath from you that none of what you learn today will ever be repeated to anyone."

Sirius was about to ask why when he realized that Kevin was not playing around. There was no emotion showing but fierce determination. In truth, Sirius felt he would have preferred it if Kevin had been joking but he had come this far and was not willing to give up on his godson just yet. "Ok" He said reluctantly "But we need to move somewhere where we won't be seen, the effects can be flashy."

Kevin led his over to a restroom. After making sure that no one else was in the room, they locked the door and Sirius gave his oath to Kevin. A light green nimbus surrounded both men for a moment before settling on their skin and disappearing.

Kevin led Sirius out of the tube station, feeling a bit more secure now that he had the oath. The walk though not long was tiring for Kevin. The crutches made getting around much more difficult than he was used to. Sirius found himself having to slow down his own gait since he didn't know where they were going, Kevin had been very secretive about this meeting and the wizard's oath had done little to relieve any concern that he may have had.

Finally, they reached the apartment. Kevin opened the door and held it while Sirius entered. "Connor, Murphy we're here."

"In the kitchen." Was the only response he received from either of his brothers. Grinning slightly, Kevin led Sirius into the kitchen. Connor was just returning to the table with a pair of coffee mugs. One was obviously for him and the other was for Kevin.

Murphy told Sirius "There's coffee if you want some."

"No I'm good. I am curious though what you have to tell me that required a wizard's oath before hand." He figured it was too early in the morning for a bunch of games so he wanted to get to the point.

Murphy grinned broadly at him "Good man, straight to the fuckin' point."

Connor nodded to Kevin to begin. It was his show this morning. So clearing his throat a little nervously he began their story. Kevin gave a longer version of their childhoods emphasizing the importance that their mother and their faith had played. He described the morning that the Russian mobsters broke into their apartment.

Sirius paled at that one after hearing that Kevin had been shot and had helped to kill 3 men. Granted they were going to kill Kevin and his brothers but he was so calm when he described it.

Next came the difficult part of their story. Kevin described the shared dream of the Archangel Uriel and the mission they were given that night in the prison. Then Kevin fell silent waiting for the pieces to click together in Sirius' mind. All three were waiting for Sirius to tell them they were insane from believing in something so bizarre.

It was obvious to everyone in the room when everything came together. Sirius' eyes bulged and he blurted out "You're them aren't you? You're the Saints!"

All three men nodded solemnly. Without saying anything, Connor stood and retrieved a bottle of whiskey from the cabinet. He placed a full glass on the table in front of Sirius.

Sirius drank it down in one gulp and then turned red and began to cough as it burned his throat. "You're really them, you're the ones that have killed all those mobsters!?" He half accused and asked.

Connor answered for the brothers "Yes we are, like Kevin said we were given a mission. We never pick our targets; we find them in the papers or on TV. The people who deserve punishment are always surrounded a sort of aura. So don't think we are out of control or willing to kill just anyone."

"Why you though?" Sirius asked. He was terrified for Kevin now. Muggles may not believe in visions and destiny but as a wizard, Sirius knew that all too often they both were very real. No, he was terrified that Kevin would be killed someday trying to deliver justice to someone.

"Who can say? It wasn't something we would have chosen for ourselves but God asked this of us and there was no way we could say no." Kevin answered.

"But is this all that's meant for you. Surely God wouldn't have you spend your entire lives delivering his justice."

The brothers were amazed at Sirius' reaction. He never even questioned the validity of their dream or their destiny. No his concern seemed to be for their own lives and whether they could ever have something more. They knew then that if he agreed to help, Sirius would always have a place with them. Unlike Smecker who was more concerned about their mission than anything else, Sirius was obviously concerned about Kevin's welfare and happiness and by association that of his brothers as well.

"No he doesn't" Murphy added. "We've been told that once Kevin finished Voldemort off we will be done."

Sirius was relieved to hear that. He wanted his godson to be happy and have a family of his own one day. That wouldn't be possible if he was still on their mission. Knowing that there was an end in sight filled Sirius with a fierce pride that these three had trusted him with their secret.

Murphy finally asked what was on all their minds. "You don't seem too surprised by all this, why?"

Sirius shrugged "I told you prophecies are not uncommon in the wizarding world. Seers and others often experience visions to guide them. If that is possible, why would it be so hard to believe that God exists or that he would choose agents to do his work? No, my question to you is why tell me?"

Kevin looked at him almost apologetically. "We need your help. Like Murphy said, Voldemort is our responsibility but we know nothing about the magical world, where people live or how things work. We need someone on the inside. We don't want you to do something you aren't comfortable with, but if you're not willing to help, we will have to find someone who is."

Sirius filled his glass with whiskey again. This time he only took a sip of the amber liquid, savoring the taste before swallowing it down. Then he Kevin straight in the eyes and said "Kevin, I swore to your parents that I would do anything in my power to keep you safe. I failed in that all those years ago when I let you be taken from me. I am not going to let that happen again. This isn't the fate I would've wished on you but it makes sense considering there is a prophecy about you in the wizarding world as well which basically says you are the only one to defeat Voldemort. So I guess what I'm saying is that of course I will help you."

After Sirius' declaration, the tension seemed to leech out of the room and everyone visibly relaxed. The difficult part out of the way, they spent the rest of the morning discussing plans for scouting missions. Sirius promised them a copy of the Daily Prophet so they could see if the Death Eaters were included as targets. Kevin was pretty sure they were since the attack on Sirius but it wouldn't hurt to make certain.

Before finishing up, the brothers suggested that Sirius take a couple of days to wrap his mind around everything. If at that point he wanted to change his mind, they would be ok with it. Before he left, Sirius gave Kevin a tight hug and promised to call him the next day.

**November 27th, 1998**

_**Hidden Location, UK**_

"Avery! What do you have to report?" Voldemort called out authoritatively from where he was standing on a raised platform before the huddled mass of Death Eaters.

Avery moved to the front of the group so that he was standing in front of the Dark Lord. He sank to his knees and bowed his head in respect as he issued his report. "My lord, we have not found any trace of Lucius Malfoy or Severus Snape. Both men appear to have disappeared. There has been nothing in the Ministry and we have been able to find no information on them from the muggles either."

Voldemort's eyes flared a deep dark red as he struggled to rein in his temper. "Narcissa, has there been any news from Draco?"

Narcissa stepped forward nervously. "No my lord, Severus has not been seen at Hogwarts and Dumbledore is currently teaching the potions classes."

Voldemort's hand twitched toward his wand. He would have more than likely drawn it had not Narcissa visibly flinched. It pleased him to see the level of fear the mere threat of punishment brought out in his Death Eaters. "McNair, take a team of men and reach out to our contacts in Europe. See if there has been any sighting of them there."

McNair nodded and left the room after picking a couple of men to join him. Narcissa slipped back into the crowd, eager to be away from the attention of Voldemort.

Avery had never left his position on the floor. Years spent in the service of Voldemort had taught him that doing so would have resulted in punishment of some sort, most like the Cruciatus. Voldemort was pleased to see that Avery had not moved from his place, the man had learned well his place in the face of Voldemort's power.

"What of Black?"

Avery couldn't keep the contempt from his voice. "The man associates with muggles daily my lord. He even teaches the cretins' children. But he follows a predictable pattern for getting to and from work. It shouldn't be difficult to ambush him on his way home."

Voldemort smiled this time, pleased at the news. "Good, take the men you need and prepare your attack. The blood traitor doesn't deserve to live much less reap the benefits of the Black fortune. Once he is dead we will have Draco claim the fortune and transfer it to my control."

The meeting went on for some time with Voldemort issuing other orders regarding future attacks and the elimination of key threats to his power.

_**Kensington, London UK**_

It had taken close to a full day before Remus and Alastor were able to locate Harry. The locator spell had definitely helped narrow down the location but London was still a very crowded city and lots of people lived in a few square blocks. In the end, it had come down to pure luck. They had spotted him coming out of a pub. They probably would have missed him if it wasn't for the attractive blonde that was with him. She was walking at his side giggling at something he said while he made was way slowly on his crutches. Remus and Moody followed them from a discreet distance until they say him enter his building.

Now that they had found him, it was easy to keep track of him. They established a rotating schedule so that at least one of them was always sitting outside the building should he leave. Remus couldn't believe how much he looked like James. It brought back painful memories that he had never really gotten over. It also brought back more recent discussions with Sirius and whether it was ok to try and tear him away from what was obviously a happy life.

Remus knew it was useless to bring up with anyone in the Order. None of them truly saw Harry as an individual, his wants and needs were not relevant in their minds. Remus had agreed with them for a long time but now seeing Harry in the flesh, he found himself questioning that. What gave them the right to change Harry…no Kevin's life so dramatically? If they did it, disregarding his wishes in the matter were they really any different than Voldemort or his Death Eaters?

There was another side to the argument that Remus had begun considering as well. If they did go ahead and force Kevin into returning to the wizarding world, would he fight for them? What reason would he have to risk his life for a group of people that clearly disregarded his own choices? It was not a pleasant line of reasoning and the more Remus thought about it, the more he was certain that kidnapping Kevin would be a big mistake. Unfortunately he knew that if Kevin did not choose to go with them after Remus spoke with him, there would be efforts made to kidnap him.

The only thing that Remus could think to do was to contact Sirius and let him know that Kevin had been found. Maybe Sirius would return to the wizarding world then to watch over his godson and Remus would have his friend back. He would have to be careful in what he told to Sirius otherwise the man would do something rash. Yes, he would have to contact Sirius but only after he had come up with the best way to lay out the current situation. Together they should be able to come up with a plan to keep Kevin safe.

**November 27th, 1998**

_**Hyde Park, London UK**_

The brothers were sitting at a table at the back of the pub. Sirius had just joined them; it had been a couple of days since they had last spoken so Kevin was a little nervous. He was hoping that Sirius hadn't changed his mind about helping them. One look at Sirius' face though told him what he needed to know. There were no recriminations only calm acceptance and a willingness to help.

"Hello boys." Sirius said cheerfully as he pulled out a chair and sat down.

Murphy laughed. He liked Sirius; he clearly knew when to lighten the mood. As much as he loved his brothers they could be so damn solemn too often for his taste. Kevin had lightened up of late; of course his girlfriend may have something to do with that. Connor, now Connor probably wouldn't lighten up until this whole thing was done with. It just wasn't in his nature to relax when his brothers might be in danger.

"Mate, do you want a pint?" Murphy asked even as he raised his hand to attract the attention of their waitress.

"I wouldn't say no to one." Sirius said laughing.

The dinner passed by quickly. They never talked about their mission or anything important. Kevin had been the butt of many jokes for his current girlfriend and her rather vocal appreciation of Kevin's talents in the bedroom. At one point, Kevin was tempted to draw his gun to get them all to shut up, but thought better off it. Connor finally took pity on him and changed the topic of discussion to something else.

It wasn't until almost 9:30 that they finished eating. The table was covered with empty plates and glasses. Despite the number of glasses, the four men were mostly sober. Sirius had just settled in to begin discussing plans for their first expedition into the wizarding world when the door to the pub exploded, showering the nearby customers with shards of glass and fragments of wood.

From outside the pub, a cold menacing voice could be heard "Find Black, I want to kill him personally for our lord. Kill anyone else who gets in the way."

6 figures dressed in black robes and white masks that obscured their features burst into the pub through the remains of the doorway. A few of the pub patrons screamed at the sight, people began to scramble away from tables and booths in an effort to get away from the robed figures.

The figures began shouting something incomprehensible and green beams of light began shooting from sticks held in their outstretched hands. Whenever the green light hit someone, there was a brief flash and then the person collapsed to the ground dead. The screams of terror drowned out any other noise, even the cruel laughter coming from the figures as they picked off more people.

The bartender managed to duck behind the bar narrowly avoiding death. Still, he gritted his teeth, if he was going to die, then he was going to take as many of those bastards with him as he could. Frantically, he looked around for a weapon unfortunately there was nothing but spare bottles of liquor. Just as he was about to sink into despair, inspiration struck. He grabbed a bottle of 151 rum, and stuffed a rag into the end of the bottle. Flicking his lighter, he lit the rag before peeking over the bar to see where the attacker was located. One was standing with his back to the bar just a few feet away. A feral grin firmly in place, he shot to his feet and pitched the bottle at the figure. With a crash, the bottle shattered against the man's back spreading liquor down his robes to the floor; the rag still burning ignited the liquid. The figure was engulfed in bright blue flame that quickly spread across his robes and mask. With a scream, he staggered out of the pub, collapsing just outside of the entrance. The bartender's victory was short lived as he was hit and killed by another attacker.

After the initial panic, Kevin flipped their table over and huddled behind it drawing his berretta from his holster. With his knee, he couldn't move easily or quickly so he knew he would be responsible for covering his brothers.

Connor and Murphy acted as one when Kevin made his move. Each man drew their own weapon and moved in opposite directions, so that they could get crossfire on the attackers who they knew to be wizards and from Sirius' description, Death Eaters. Like the first attack against Sirius, these men were surrounded by the aura they had come to associate with those deserving retribution. It was all they needed to know, they would not be shooting o injure.

Sirius stayed with Kevin. He knew that with Kevin's injury, he would need help if the Death Eaters were to focus on him. For only the second time in years, Sirius pulled his wand and prepared to fight for his life.

Most of the pub's patrons near the entrance were dead. The remaining survivors were huddled closer to the brothers in the rear of the pub. A handful of others were huddled behind tables or booths closer to the Death Eaters.

The Death Eaters advanced leisurely taking the time to play with the victims, enjoying the fear emanating from them. Other than the bartender, there had been no resistance from the animals.

A quick look to either side told Kevin that his brothers were in position. Each had hidden behind an overturned table and was aiming at a separate Death Eater. Kevin took a calming breath to steady his hand. There were two attackers in his line of sight, he took aim at the first one and pulled the trigger.

Connor and Murphy followed suit as soon as they caught the muffled muzzle flash from Kevin's Berretta. Three Death Eaters collapsed to the floor. Two had small bleeding holes in their forehead; however, the back of their heads was missing as the hollow point bullets expanded on impact and tore through the back of their skulls. The third man fell grasping at his ruined neck, blood streaming out in a fountain between his fingers.

The remaining two Death Eaters heard their comrades fall. Spinning around, they snapped off a pair of killing curses but without taking the time to aim properly. One curse slammed into the floor blowing a good size chunk to dust. The other shot over Connor's head into the wall leaving behind a smoking hole.

The brothers fired again before the Death Eaters could cast any more spells. All three bullets hit their target. The leading Death Eater flew back into the bar, he chest and head sporting gaping bullet holes. The last Death Eater spun with the force of the impact into an overturned table and sprawled over it. Blood gurgled from his mouth and he struggled to reach his emergency portkey. The small portkey slipped from his weakening fingers and clattered to the floor. Coughing once more the Death Eater died, blood trickling slowly from his mouth.

Sirius was stunned, it all happened so quickly. He had never even shot off a single spell. In no time, Kevin and his brothers had killed 5 Death Eaters. Even Aurors were never that efficient. He began to think that maybe Kevin and his brothers really would defeat Voldemort.

Kevin waited for a moment until he was sure there were no other Death Eaters. Confident the attack was over; he used the table to stagger to his feet with a grunt because of a lance of pain from his protesting knee. Connor and Murphy were already moving to check on the other survivors.

A young man who probably wasn't much older than Kevin approached him. His shirt was torn and he a small gash across his upper arm, from the flying glass earlier. "I don't know who you are, but you guys saved our lives. Thanks." He said simply and sincerely before reaching out and shaking Kevin's hand.

Kevin didn't know what to say. This was a first for them. It was somewhat terrifying to be out in the open so exposed, but Kevin managed to nod and smile nervously at the man.

A woman in her late twenties grabbed Connor with both hands and gave him a fierce kiss. When she let him go, Connor had a slightly dazed look on his face that made Kevin and Murphy laugh along with a few of the other survivors.

"You're them aren't you? You're those Saints the paper has been writing about." An older man asked abruptly. The brothers' suddenly tense and nervous glances at each other answered his question. The man just smiled "You boys did good. I haven't seen shooting like that since my time in the army. I don't know who those guys were but I know that we owe you our lives. If you ever need anything from me…"

Connor said shakily "Thanks, that means a lot. We just ask that you don't tell anyone who we are, I'm sure you can understand our need for secrecy."

"You deserve medals for what you've been doing. It's about time someone made the city safe for decent folk again." Another patron added. The thanks went on for a good ten minutes before the brothers left with Sirius following them. None of them suspecting that they had saved an off duty police officer and a reporter.

_**Outside the pub**_

Moody had followed Kevin to the pub. He was waiting for them to leave when he noticed Sirius Black enter the pub. He had a bad feeling that Kevin was aware of the wizarding world. If that was the case, they may need to take a more aggressive approach. Moody cursed his luck when he saw the Death Eaters apparate in. He waited, hoping that the pub was not their target. Sadly, luck was not with him, as soon as the Death Eaters began to attack Moody tried to apparate away only to find anti-apparition and portkey wards in place. It took him a few minutes to make his way to edge of the wards so he could go for help. He disappeared with a pop, by the time he returned with reinforcements the battle was over and Kevin was gone. None of the Order's wizards understood what had happened to the Death Eaters but figured Sirius Black had somehow gotten the drop on them. Muggles would never be able to do that kind of damage.


	6. A Mistake of Epic Proportions

A/N: I do not own Harry Potter & Co. or The Boondock Saints.

A/N 2: This chapter took a turn for me. Originally, I had planned on going with squib Harry but I've decided against that. However, in keeping with the themes set so far, his magic will be of a different variety that what the wizarding world is used to.

**Chapter 6: A Mistake of Epic Proportions**

**November 27th, 1998**

**_Headmaster's Office, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry, UK_**

Moody and Remus along with the other Order members who had arrived on scene to try and save Harry from the Death Eaters were quick to portkey back to Hogwarts. This was going to be a huge mess for the Ministry of Magic, already the surviving muggles, if there were any, had dispersed and there would be no chance for the Obliviators to find them all. The only thing they had been sure of was that all the Death Eaters were dead and that Harry Potter was not one of the dead bodies.

Albus looked up in surprise when the group arrived in his office. They had just left minutes ago. His eyes were twinkling when he noticed that no one was hurt or injured in any way. "I must say, I didn't expect you to be back so soon." He said jovially.

Moody snorted loudly "That's because we didn't have to do anything. By the time we got back to the restaurant, all the Death Eaters were dead and there was no sign of either Harry Potter or Sirius Black." He suspected that Albus would not be happy with this news that the Death Eaters were dead. He was always more interested in trying to redeem the Death Eaters than to eliminate the threat.

Albus' eyes lost their life and he took on a troubled expression. "It must have been Sirius. He would do anything to keep Harry safe even if it meant killing people."

"We can't just leave him with Sirius. Who knows what the man is teaching Harry? If he is willing to kill maybe he is teaching Harry to kill too!" Arthur argued.

"I agree with Arthur. Now that the Death Eaters are after Sirius Black it is too risky to leave Harry out where he could be killed or captured. We need to bring him to Hogwarts where he can be kept safe and trained." Moody said. Though, in truth he had no problem with the lad learning to kill. It was going to be necessary after all in order for them to win the war even if no one else wanted to admit it.

"Yes it is critical that Harry be brought to us safely. I think it would be best if Remus were to approach him tomorrow. Alastor, you can go with under a disillusionment charm to provide backup if Sirius should be there. I'm afraid you are going to need to bring him here by any means necessary." Albus was calm as if they weren't discussing the kidnapping of a young man. Even in the wizarding world, kidnapping was a serious crime and anyone involved would be sent to Azkaban.

"What about his brothers, what if they are home with him?" Arthur asked.

"In the unlikely event that Harry does not want to return to Hogwarts with you, you can simply stun them. I doubt they would pose any danger to you." Albus suggested.

Remus nodded in agreement, afraid to voice his true thoughts. He knew that at this point there would be no dissuading Albus from this course of action. In truth, he had no problems approaching Harry and explaining things though if he was in contact with Sirius he probably was already aware of the situation. He no longer felt comfortable disregarding Harry's wants. Tomorrow was going to be a balancing act, if it looked like things were going to be violent, he would have to leave a message with the brothers in the hope that Sirius would be able to help rescue Harry from Hogwarts.

**November 28th, 1998**

_**Kensington, London, UK**_

Kevin and Murphy were getting ready for another brunch with Sirius. After the events of the previous night, they were arming themselves for any situation. Kevin had his shoulder holster on with another gun on his ankle and one in the waistband of his jeans in the small of his back. A large hunting knife was also hanging from his belt. Murphy was similarly armed. Connor had left earlier to scout out the restaurant. After the previous night, they weren't taking any chances.

"How's the knee Kev? Saw you take a couple of the Vicodin last night." Murphy asked while checking the clips for his pistols.

"It's still a little sore from last night but not too bad. I can't wait to get his damn cast off though. The crutches are driving me crazy."

"At least you have a little more mobility now. You wouldn't have been able to pull off last night's stunts if you were fresh out of the hospital. I gotta say, you looked like shit last night when we finally got back." There was a grin on Murphy's face; it was always so fun to make fun of Kevin. What were little brothers for?

Swallowing his retort, Kevin replied honestly instead "Yeah, my knee hurt like a bitch last night. Fucking Death Eaters, we can't even eat dinner in peace any more. It was nice of them to come to us, though made for a pleasant change. It seems like we are always going out, we never have company at home anymore."

Murphy laughed. It always felt good to laugh after a night like the one they had. Kevin might take a lot of shit from his brothers, but he was always good for a laugh too. "I bet you girlfriend looks forward to you having full mobility again." Murphy added with a lecherous grin.

Kevin just rolled his eyes "Sure but there's nothing wrong with letting her do the work for a change."

Murphy's reply was cut off by a knock on the door. Kevin moved to answer it while Murphy edged to the side so he would be out of the line of sight. They weren't expecting anyone this morning and Sirius was meeting them at the restaurant. Kevin opened the door, but left the chain on. He looked out and saw a man in his mid to late 30s with shoulder length brown hair that had more than a bit of grey in it. His eyes were a stranger amber color and his clothes looked like something that belonged to a homeless person. He recognized the man from Sirius' description, it was Remus Lupin. "Who the fuck are you?"

Remus was not expecting such a crass greeting. But he soldiered forward. "You don't know me, but I am a friend of Sirius Black and I need to speak with you about an urgent matter." He hoped that by referencing Sirius' name, Harry would trust him enough to let him in. Apparently it worked since the door opened a minute later.

Remus' heightened hearing told him that Moody had made it in as well before Harry closed the door.

Kevin didn't bother to offer the man a drink or even a seat. He simply asked "So what the fuck is so urgent that you had to tell me?"

Remus' eyebrow quirked up but he otherwise appeared unruffled by the question. "I don't know if you are aware, but your name is not Kevin MacManus, it is Harry Potter. Your parents were James and Lily Potter, two of my best friends."

Kevin's eyes narrowed "My name is not Harry fucking Potter. I was raised Kevin MacManus and that's who my family is. I really don't give a shit about who my parents were." Sirius had already filled him in on the fateful night back in 1981. It had helped put to rest many of Kevin's insecurities around his family once he knew that his parents had loved him enough to die for him. "Somehow, I doubt you came to tell me this out of the goodness of your though."

"Maybe you should sit down." Remus suggested though this wasn't going quite like he had expected. Obviously Sirius had told Kevin who he was and who Remus was.

"Maybe you should just get on with it or get the fuck out of here." Kevin was having fun now; he hadn't had a chance to be belligerent in a while.

Meanwhile, Murphy was in Kevin's room with door cracked so he could see where Kevin and the Lupin fuck were standing.

Moody was also standing by Remus and near Kevin, ready to grab him and portkey out of there. He had seen the brother hiding in the other room with his eye but dismissed him as a potential threat.

Remus sighed and rubbed his eyes with his hand. "I don't know what Sirius has told you, but Kevin you are a wizard just like James and Lily. Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry would like you to come to the school so that you can get training and be reintroduced to the wizarding world."

Kevin just looked at him like he was nuts. "Why the hell would I want to go to someplace called Hogwarts? Who the fuck named it anyway, Disney? So no thanks, I'm happy where I am."

Remus tried to hide his smile but he lost it when he heard Moody snort softly. "Hogwarts is one of the finest schools to learn about your magic. Why wouldn't you want to return to the wizarding world, it is where you were born?"

"It may have been where I was born, but it wasn't where I was raised. Look I've heard all about the wizarding world from Sirius. Frankly, it sounds like a third world nation with all the corruption and none of the luxuries. So explain to me, why I would want to join that world?"

Remus had to admit, the wizarding world was very backward compared to the muggle world but he couldn't believe that Kevin wouldn't want to experience it. "I know you witnessed an attack last night. Those men were after Sirius but without training you would have no defense against them. Perhaps just a short visit to Hogwarts so you could meet the Headmaster?" Remus said reasonably.

Kevin appeared to give it some thought but he was really just seeing how far he could push the man. It was possible he could get some information from him. "Look, I appreciate the fact that you were friends with my parents but for better or worse I don't want any part of that world. My family is here and that's where I intend to stay."

Remus knew he wasn't going to get anywhere so he reluctantly gave the signal to Moody who dropped his disillusionment charm. Hoping that someone else was in the apartment with them, Remus said loudly "I'm sorry but you're too important to our world to leave you here unprotected. You will need to come with us to Hogwarts."

Murphy was moving as soon as Moody appeared. He was still cognizant enough to hear the location though. While Moody and Remus were grabbing Kevin's arms, Murphy pulled his hunting knife and whipped it at Moody. He was rewarded with a thunk as the blade sliced into the mad's chest. Moody sagged and blood started to seep around the blade. Panicking, Remus activated the portkey to take them to Hogwarts.

Murphy just stared for a moment at the space where the three men had been standing before he yelled "Fuck!" He went tearing out of the apartment not even bothering with the door. He had to get to Connor and Sirius.

_**Kensington, London, UK**_

Murphy found Sirius talking to Connor outside of the restaurant. As soon as he saw the man, everything went red. Before either Connor or Sirius knew what was going on, Murphy grabbed Sirius by his jacket and slammed him up against the wall "If you have anything to do with those two fucking wizards taking Kevin, I swear to god I will gut you and leave you on the street to die."

Connor spun from Murphy to Sirius. His hand reaching into his coat to rest on his berretta. "Well, I suggest you answer him." Connor said in the coldest voice Sirius had ever heard. "Murphy won't have a chance to gut you; I'll just put a bullet in your brain if you've done something to Kevin."

Sirius tried to speak but his mouth was dry. In the back of his mind, he knew that the brothers were protective of each other but he didn't have a single doubt that either brother would follow through on their threat. "I swear I've not talked to anyone about Kevin. I left the wizarding world behind years ago because of how they treated Kevin and what they did to me. Please believe me; I would never…never do anything to hurt Kevin!"

Both MacManus brothers stared into Sirius' eyes, trying to read the truth from his very soul. Sirius breathed a sigh of relief when Murphy let go of his jacket. "Do you know the names of the two wizards that took Kevin?"

Connor shook his head. "Not here, we'll go back to apartment." A few minutes later, the three men were pacing around the room while Murphy described what happened. Sirius breathed a sigh of relief when he realized that the two men were Alastor Moody and his former friend Remus Lupin. At least it wasn't the Death Eaters.

"Remus said they were taking him to Hogwarts?" Sirius asked. After getting a nod from Murphy he went on "Ok, I can get us there no problem. We will appear about ten minutes away just outside of the wards."

Murphy looked over at Connor "This just might be the perfect time to test the effectiveness of explosives in the wizarding world. I'm in the mood to cause some havoc."

Connor grinned but somehow there was no humor in it. The expression was totally feral and promised retribution to anyone that hurt Kevin. "What can we expect in the school?"

Sirius shook his head "I don't think they are going to be expecting any sort of non-magical attacks but school is still in session. So maybe I should take care of stunning the students and you two can deal out more severe punishment to the staff."

Murphy asked "These people used to be your friends; you don't have a problem with them getting shot and possibly killed?"

Sirius shook his head. "My first loyalty is to Kevin. I failed him for the last 17 years. I'm not going to let anything happen to him if I can stop it." The determination in his voice was crystal clear to both brothers.

Connor nodded approvingly at Sirius. "Good, family should always come first. Now, we better hurry because if I know Kevin, he is going to start dealing out his own punishment once his patience runs out."

"Oh did I mention his knee is still hurting so I'm guessing Kevin doesn't have much in the way of patience for these people right now." Murphy added with his own grin, echoing Connors.

"Maybe we'll need to rescue them from Kevin." All three men laughed, knowing that was not going to happen. Whatever Kevin did before they got there was totally justified in their minds.

_**Outside Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry, UK**_

Sirius, Connor, and Murphy arrived with a loud crack. Connor swayed on his feet for a moment and Murphy looked like he was going to throw up. Sirius looked over at the two brothers and laughed. "Yeah, apparition can be tough the first few times. You get used to it though."

Once the brothers had recovered, they began to make their way to Hogwarts. Since it was a cool November day, none of the students had ventured outside even though it was Saturday. Sirius led them up to the main gate. Before entering, they set some explosives by the main entrance. There was enough to destroy the door and a good chunk of the wall. The explosives were set with a mechanical timer, counting down from 30 minutes. "If we haven't found Kevin by then, the explosion should attract his attention." Murphy explained.

The trio proceeded inside, moving cautiously. "Any clue where they may have Kevin?"

"He's probably stuck listening to Dumbledore prattle on about his importance to the wizarding world."

"If this school has wards, why haven't we been stopped or had an alarm go off?"

"I don't know, normally muggles…er… non-magical people are repelled from here. I think you were able to avoid that because you were with me. The rest, maybe because I'm not a dark wizard I didn't set off any alarms."

They were walking down another long dark hallway. According to Sirius, it was a secret passage that would take them near Dumbledore's office. When they rounded another corner Sirius broke the silence again "You know this is probably a one shot. Once they realize that you are using non-magical weapons they will take steps to protect themselves. Doesn't mean it will work, but it certainly won't be as easy. Dumbledore may be a lot of things, but stupid isn't one of them."

"If that was the case, he never would have kidnapped Kevin." Connor muttered.

Sirius motioned for them to stop. "We are getting near Dumbledore's office now."

_**Headmaster's Office, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry, UK**_

Kevin, Remus and Moody appeared in Dumbledore's office. The landing sent a bolt of pain shooting through Kevin's knee. If he had been in a different situation, he would have cried out but instead he did everything he could to stifle his grunt. However, his face paled and sweat began to break out on his forehead.

Alastor collapsed to the ground with a moan. The knife wound was aggravated by his landing and now blood was running freely from the wound around the knife. Remus rushed to the fireplace and threw in a dash of floo powder and called for Poppy. She heard the urgency in his voice and quickly made her way to the Headmaster's office.

She was shocked to find a pale Alastor Moody on the floor with a large knife stuck in his chest. Poppy's training took over and she pushed Remus and Albus out of the way while she began working.

Kevin just stood near the wall leaning against it to take some of the weight of his knee since his crutches were back at the apartment. If anyone had thought to check on him, they would have noticed a satisfied smirk playing over his features at the sight of the scarred man on the floor. While they were focused on the man, Kevin was also surveying the office. It looked like there were only two doors that he could see. The office itself was filled with little silver devices and trinkets and the walls were covered with portraits. He thought he was hallucinating for a moment when he realized they were moving before he remembered Sirius telling them about the moving photographs. What surprised him the most though was the familiar aura that surrounded the old man. It wasn't quite as strong as some of the ones he had seen so maybe his crimes weren't as evil but as they say, the road to hell is paved with good intentions.

Eventually, Poppy left the room with Alastor in tow floating behind her. It was only Kevin, Albus Dumbledore and Remus Lupin left in the office. Albus turned a concerned gaze towards Remus "Remus what happened, how was Alastor wounded?"

"It was one of Harry's brothers." Remus said simply.

Albus turned his gaze towards Kevin who had remained in his position leaning against the wall. "Harry why would you allow this to happen?"

Kevin scoffed at the old man "First, you old fuck my name is Kevin not Harry. Second why wouldn't my brother attack someone who fucking kidnapped me?"

Albus moved around to sit behind his desk. "Now Harry what would your parents say. Would you really forsake you name and your parents after the sacrifice they made for you?"

"Well, I don't think they would say anything since they're dead and I doubt they're sitting up in heaven pining away because I was raised under a different name."

"Now Harry, I don't think you realize how important you are to the wizarding world. Surely you wouldn't want people to lose hope by not standing up to be the hero they have longed for?"

"I don't give a shit about the wizarding world. If they were so concerned about me, how come I was abandoned?"

"I had no idea that your mother's sister would do something like that or I never would have left you on their doorstep." Albus explained reasonably.

Kevin's eyes practically blazed with anger. "Who the fuck leaves a baby on someone's doorstep? They let people like you run a school, no wonder this world is so fucked up! If there was any doubt before, it's gone now. You can take your wand and shove it up your ass. There is no way in hell I would agree to come here."

Remus blanched there was such a cold anger behind the words. With every passing minute, Remus understood better and better why Sirius had been so against this. It was wrong to try force someone into this position, especially for a world they knew nothing about. He could only hope now that Sirius got here before Albus moved Kevin to a different location. He was brought back to the argument by Albus' admonishment of Kevin.

"Harry…" But Albus didn't get any further.

"Fuck you old man! I told you my name is not fucking Harry Potter! It is Kevin MacManus!"

Albus was losing his patience with the boy. Kevin needed to understand his place in this war and that everything Albus was doing was for the greater good. "That's enough Harry; you will give up these childish notions. It's time you returned to the wizarding world and served the people."

Before Kevin could respond, a tremor swept through the castle followed by the sounds of a massive explosion. Relief filled Kevin; it had to be Sirius and his brothers. The door nearest to Kevin slammed open a moment later and an elderly woman with a severe expression rushed in. "Albus, the school is being attacked. Why didn't the wards go off?"

Kevin took advantage of the momentary distraction. Moving as quickly as he could, he stepped behind the woman pinning one of her arms against her back and drawing one of his Berrettas with the other. "As much fun as this has been, I think my brothers have taken offense at my kidnapping and have come to find me. If you don't try and stop me, no one will get hurt."

Albus looked truly said "I'm sorry Harry, but I can't allow you to leave." He drew his wand and prepared to stun Kevin. Kevin pushed the woman away from him, and shot Dumbledore in the shoulder. The hollow point bullet went clean through his body blowing a fist size hole in Albus' back. He screamed in pain, his wand dropping from his suddenly nerveless fingers. Kevin didn't spare him another glance; he started backing out of the office, keeping his gun trained on Remus and the woman. Before he began to descend the stairs he said "This is your only warning. Leave me and my family alone or next time you won't need to worry about finding a doctor."

As soon as Kevin was out of the door, Remus spun into action. Once again calling for Poppy while Minerva moved to Albus' side to see what she could until Poppy go there.

_**Hallway Outside Headmaster's Office, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry, UK**_

All three heard the gunshot. Connor was the first to move, racing down the hallway towards the sound. He came to a spiral staircase and was about to begin climbing when he heard huffing and what almost sounded like whimpers of pain. "Kev is that you?" He didn't care about the risk this could be his brother.

"Connor?" Kevin's voice came down.

That was all Connor needed to hear. He was tearing up the stairs after yelling for Murphy and Sirius to secure the base of the stairs. About two thirds of the way up, he found Kevin collapsed on one of the steps trying to use the wall to stand. His face was filled with determination but the tears in his eyes told Connor how much pain he was in from his injured knee. Without saying anything, he moved the rest of the way towards Kevin and swept him into a fireman's carry on his shoulder. It was proof of how much pain he was in that Kevin never protested once which only served to fuel Connor's anger.

He descended the stairs again slowly taking care not bump Kevin's knee anymore than necessary. They were greeted by the concerned faces of Murphy and Sirius at the bottom of the stairs. Murphy saw Kevin's pale face and pulled his second Berretta. He was about to climb the stairs and deal out some punishment of his own when Connor stopped him. "We need to get Kev out of here. There will be time for that later." Murphy knew Connor wasn't joking and put his vengeance on hold for the time being.

Making their way out was easier than in surprisingly. The explosion had finally triggered the alarms so all the students were currently confined to their dorms. But, they needed to hurry because Aurors might arrive at anytime. Near the entrance, they had to hide in the secret passage when they heard a group of men run past presumably on their way to Dumbledore's office.

Once he men had passed down the hall, they emerged from the secret passage. Unfortunately, there was still a pair of Aurors examining the remains of the main entrance. Without pause, Murphy shot one man in the back. Per Sirius' earlier warning, he didn't shoot to kill but it should incapacitate him for a while. The second Auror had just spun around when Murphy's second shot hit him in the abdomen. It was a painful wound but wouldn't be fatal if he got treatment in time. Connor was already moving through the entrance with Kevin still on his shoulder while Sirius and Murphy snagged the wands from the Aurors and snapped them.

By the time they were nearing the edge of the wards, they heard cries coming from the castle. Someone must have found the two injured Aurors. As soon as they were outside the wards, Sirius apparated all three men to his home. "We can't stay here; they will no doubt be here soon." Sirius said.

Connor put Kevin down on the couch and gently stretched out his leg. Before he moved away, he ran his fingers through Kevin's hair out of habit. "Do you have a phone?"

"Who are you calling?" Murphy asked while moving to sit on the floor next to Kevin.

"Smecker has to have some contacts we can use to find a safe house until we can think of something more permanent."

Murphy nodded his head. It was a good idea. He began to explain who Smecker was to Sirius while Connor went to make the call.

A loud knock shocked the men. Sirius had not been expecting the Aurors to connect him to Hogwarts so quickly. He pulled his wand and approached the door when a deep baritone voice called out "We are here to help you. We know all about the MacManus brothers and their actions both here in London and in Boston."

Connor and Murphy pulled their Berrettas and spread out to either side of the door. Kevin was told to stay where he was which was a good thing because he was in too much pain at the moment to be of any help. Sirius opened the door prepared to kill whoever was outside.

It wasn't Aurors or even the Order of the Phoenix. Standing in the hallway outside of Sirius' flat were two men in their mid 40s. Both men were dressed entirely in black, from trench coats to shirts and pants. Without asking or introducing themselves, they walked into the flat ignoring Sirius.

"Who are you people? You don't work for the Ministry and you sure as hell aren't in the Order of the Phoenix." Sirius asked bluntly.

"Mr. Black, Connor and Murphy MacManus, we are here to help you and your brother Kevin. If we had time, I would explain everything but I doubt it will be long before others show up here looking for you. Please trust us; we will take you to a safe house nearby. You will not be found there."

Connor was about to turn them down, when he noticed something on their shirts. It was stitched in a light gray so that against the black of the shirt it was barely noticeable. The crusades and Knight Orders had always been a fascination for him when he was in school. He could still remember dreaming of being a Knight Templar. There it was on their shirts, a small shield bearing a cross with two arms. The Order still existed today and was considered the highest British honor that could be awarded. From what he was seeing though, there was more to them than what he had read. "Ok, we'll go with you." The look he sent to Sirius and Murphy stopped their protests before they could even open their mouths.

Connor moved over to the couch and picked Kevin up. A moan of pain escaped from Kevin before he could stop it. "I'm sorry Kev, I know it hurts but we can't stay here."

So it was that the strange group left Sirius' flat. Murphy whispered to Connor "Who are they? You wouldn't trust just anyone."

"Didn't you see their shirts? They are members of the Order of the Garter." When Murphy just blinked, not recognizing the name he clarified "They're Knights of St. George."

Recognition flared in Murphy's eyes. He couldn't say anything until they were outside; Connor was concentrating on descending the stairs as smoothly as possible to minimize the pain to Kevin. Outside Murphy whispered a little nervously "What the hell is going on?"

"I don't know but this is bigger than we thought."

_**Infirmary, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry, UK**_

Albus was sleeping on a bed on the corner of the infirmary. Though it had been a close thing, his condition had been stabilized but it would still take a couple of days for his shoulder to fully heal. Alastor was seated in a bed next to him. He was largely healed but even he couldn't escape from Poppy's clutches.

Remus Lupin was sitting next to his bed and the two were talking quietly. He had brought Moody up to speed on what had happened after he had collapsed in Albus' office. "Well, I think it's safe to say that those Death Eaters the other night were killed by the boy and his brothers, not Black."

Remus nodded in agreement. He wasn't sure how he felt about the son of James and Lily being able to kill so efficiently. "The question I have is whether he meant to kill Albus or not."

"I would think that is pretty obvious. If he handled that weapon the way you describe, he meant to injure and not kill. The bigger question is what do we do now?" His gruff voice soft, barely disturbing the quiet of the infirmary.

"What do you mean? I'm sure Albus is going to send another group to find Harry." Remus said. He needed to find a way to contact Sirius. It might take some doing, but he was willing to pass information on the Order's efforts if it helped to protect Kevin.

"You mean Kevin don't you? I think the boy made his opinion pretty clear and I'm starting to doubt the wisdom of trying to force him back."

Remus was shocked, was Moody suggesting that they leave Kevin alone? "What are you suggesting Alastor?"

"I think you need to get in touch with Sirius Black. Albus is going to do whatever he can to try and bring that boy back here. The only thing that is going to accomplish is the creation of another enemy for the Order anyway if not the wizarding world."

"I thought you wanted Kevin somewhere he could be trained and kept safe?"

"After today, it's pretty obvious that the lad and his brothers know how to take care of themselves. I'd still like to see him learn to use magic, it will only help him even more but I'm not sure it's worth the risk of making them our enemies."

"I agree and hopefully Sirius responds, he doesn't have reason to trust me right now." Remus said.

"I hope so too, it's only so long before Albus crosses a line from which there's no going back. And Remus, use my owl, I trained him myself."

"Please don't tell me that you trained the poor bird to be as paranoid as you are."

Alastor's grin was answer enough.


	7. New Players on the Field

A/N: I do not own Harry Potter & Co. or The Boondock Saints.

**Chapter 7: New Players on the Field**

**November 28th, 1998**

**_Order of the Garter Safe House, London, UK_**

The six men made for a strange site on the street with Kevin cradled in Connor's arms. Nothing was said, no questions were asked. Sirius and the MacManus brothers followed the mysterious pair hoping they weren't making a big mistake but knowing at the same time that they had little choice. Kevin was blushing a bright red the entire time, humiliated that he had to be carried like this but he knew that even with his crutches he probably wouldn't be able to walk at the moment.

Luckily, because it was the middle of the day there weren't as many people on the street as there would be in the morning or evening when people were going to or from work. As it was, Connor was beginning to sweat from carrying Kevin "Fuck Kev, what they hell have you been eating? You weigh a ton."

"Hey, I haven't gained any weight. Maybe you're just getting weak in your old age." Kevin countered.

Murphy offered "Maybe his girlfriend wants to have a little more to hold onto when she rides him."

Sirius coughed. He was blushing now, that was more than he ever wanted to know about his godson's sex life. "Can we not talk about my godson having sex in front of me? I'm not sure my heart can take the shock."

Kevin was determined to remain silent. Anything he said at this point would just fuel the abuse.

"You don't want to know about Kevin's prowess or lack thereof with the ladies? Do you really want to miss out on the embarrassment factor? Nothing seems to get to him like the topic of his sex life." Murphy added helpfully.

Sirius was saved from answering by the two men they were following. They had stopped and were standing in front of a local church. The two men entered but held the doors open for Connor. After everyone was inside, they were led to a suite of rooms behind the altar. "We can stay here for now. A car will be here shortly to take us to our main facilities."

Connor and lowered Kevin in to a chair and sat down next to him. "Good that gives us time for you to answer some questions."

"Of course, but I trust you understand that there will be certain things that I can't share with you."

"Who are you?" This was from Kevin.

"My name is Marcus." The taller man with solid black hair and bright blue eyes answered.

"And I'm Joseph." The second man replied. He had dark blond hair and hazel eyes and though he was shorter than his companion, he still stood over 6' tall. "I think your brother has guessed the rest." He finished with a nod towards Connor.

Connor blushed at the attention for a second. "It's true then?" He asked. When he received a confirming nod from Marcus he went on "They are members of the Order of the Garter, the chivalric order for the Knights of St. George."

Marcus smile "That's close and while it is true that the public face of the Order of the Garter is a chivalric order, we are members of the original military order."

"But I thought those faded away after the crusades?" Connor asked surprised. Murphy, Kevin and Sirius were lost. None of them knew what a military order or a chivalric order was. Connor saw the blank looks on their faces and added "Think of the Knights Templar, they were a military order. The Order of the Garter is the highest Order in the British Honor system and was formed following the crusades."

"Very good Mr. MacManus. It is not common knowledge but many of the original military orders continue to exist today. Originally responsible for leading the crusades, the military orders are now responsible for fighting the evil in the world. Sadly, there will always be a need for men of faith to stand and fight against the forces of darkness."

"How is it that you managed to keep this a secret?" Sirius asked.

"I would think that you of all people would understand that keeping whole worlds from the public eye is not truly that difficult. In truth, we fight those enemies that the public is not prepared to accept as being real."

The brothers were alternating questions, each asking things they felt pertinent. "How did you know about us? And what did you mean that you knew about Boston and London?"

Joseph looked at the three of them with a bland expression. "You're not the only ones to have been asked to undertake tasks by God. Many of our members over the years have been given duties and tasks to perform that were necessary to protect the world. Recently we were given a new undertaking. We were asked to aid the MacManus brothers in their duties. In our dreams we were told of the actions that you have been asked to undertake."

Connor blanched slightly at the explanation. Of the three brothers, he was most troubled by what they were doing. It wasn't that Murphy or Kevin enjoyed the killing but they were able to detach themselves from it, something that Connor had not been able to do. His one retreat was that people did not know what he had been asked to do but now that was gone. Kevin had lots of difficulties with what they were doing and still felt guilty but he hid it from his brothers. Murphy tried to forget what they had done, pushing it to the back of his mind where it came out only in his sleep.

Marcus looked at Connor with sympathy "You would not have been given this responsibility if the task were easy or trivial. You must focus on the good that you have accomplished."

"So you know about us being the Saints of South Boston?" Murphy asked referring to the nickname given to them by the press and wanting to have everything out on the table.

Joseph looked at him, sympathy playing across his features "Yes and I don't envy your duty but you are not the first to have been asked to kill in the name of our Lord and more than likely you won't be the last."

"How can you help us exactly?" Kevin asked. His was pale and there was a sheen of sweat on his forehead, his knee was will still sending sharp jolts of pain through him.

Marcus, the senior member of the two explained. The Order would make its resources available to the brothers and to Sirius. They would have shelter in their sanctuary which was protected from detection by magic. Like the brothers, the Order had contacts that would be useful in acquiring weapons and explosives. The last thing they could do was to help Kevin with his magic.

"Magic? I don't think I have magic. Nothing like what Sirius said was normal for magical children ever happened to me." Kevin protested.

"Kevin…" Joseph paused, waiting for permission to continue using his first name. After Kevin had nodded his ok, Joseph continued "You do have magic but we believe that when you were attacked as a child, you body's natural ability to channel that magic was burned out. There are others in our order that have had similar experiences."

Not up to arguing at the moment, Kevin conceded the point. "Ok, if that's true than how would I go about using it?"

"It is not difficult but your magic will look for other ways to express itself. A wand will never work for you since it requires the normal magical pathways to function. Your magic will be an expression of will and faith. In the end you must believe for something to happen, if you don't have absolute faith in the outcome nothing will happen."

Sirius looked at Kevin in awe and asked "Do you mean wandless magic? That is almost unheard of in the wizarding world."

Marcus rolled his eyes before responding "There are a lot of things that are unheard of in the wizarding world. I understand the need for secrecy; however, that doesn't mean you have to freeze your society in the dark ages. I mean they still use candles for god's sake."

"Marcus is right; the wizarding world has historically ignored other forms of magic that do not require a wand. Kevin's magic will at once be more flexible in that it doesn't require incantations or spells but also more physically draining and take longer to manifest since it will require a direct application of his will to achieve the desired effect."

"How long will it take for me to learn how to use my magic?" Kevin spared a look for Connor. He was concerned, people were dying and he didn't want to spend years studying and doing nothing to stop the deaths. Connor saw Kevin's look and read the concern in his eyes but at the moment he didn't have anything to say that could lessen his brother's fears.

"Of course it is different for everyone but unlike what Mr. Black was taught to use, we will teach you how to connect with your magic. Everything else is really up to you. To become truly proficient in magic will take years but all we are really striving for is to get you to access it. After that, it simply comes down to practice and hard work."

"So you expect us to wait years before going after Voldemort and his Death Eaters while I become proficient in magic?" Kevin asked accusingly.

"No, as I said once you are able to access your magic you can accomplish anything. The practice and training merely make process of accessing your magic easier and quicker."

Kevin calmed down at hearing this. A little magic might help them a lot especially if it was something that the wizards had never seen before. "Sorry, I just hate the idea of something like this hanging over our heads for so long."

Despite the explanations and help offered, Connor was still trying to wrap his brain around something. "You still haven't really explained why you are helping us? Like you said, we were asked to do this and we accepted so why are we being given help now?"

Marcus took up the discussion for the pair again "Connor, it's true that you three have been given this task. My belief is that God is never asking for us to sacrifice our lives unless absolutely necessary when we are given something to undertake. Just because the responsibility falls to you doesn't mean that the tools or help won't be made available to you. Do you really think it was happenstance that an FBI agent suddenly gave up on the system he had worked in for so long? As with you, it was his choice but he was given a chance to help you and he chose to take it."

Joseph put in his thoughts "It all comes down to free will. You could have chosen to ignore your dreams and continued to stand on the sidelines in this battle. Instead the three of you placed your faith and your lives in God's hands and took up his mantle. Like you, we have chosen serve God when he asks and to help those like us. So we will help you in any way we can but ultimately it will still be your own actions and decisions that determine the outcome."

The door to the room opened suddenly, Connor and Murphy shot to their feet, hands reaching for the guns. Kevin tried to stand without thinking and almost immediately crumpled to the ground. Despite the brace around his knee, he felt something tear. His vision blurred for a moment when he was hit with a wave of intense pain.

Sirius turned to Kevin when he heard him gasp. He moved in time to catch Kevin before he collapsed. "Kevin!"

Everyone turned to see Kevin being supported by Sirius who was trying to maneuver him back to a chair. In a flash, Connor and Murphy were at Kevin's side both asking "What is it Kev, what's wrong?"

Kevin barely managed to gasp out "Knee…oh god it hurts!"

Connor turned to Marcus "We need to get him to a hospital, something is wrong."

Marcus shook his head "It's too dangerous. We have a fully equipped medical ward where we are going. Mr. Black can you conjure up a stretcher? It would be easier on Kevin's knee."

Sirius started swearing, upset that he never thought of doing something so simple. In seconds, a pair of wooden poles appeared on the floor connected by a strip of heavy cloth. Using another charm, Sirius floated Kevin over to the stretcher.

The only sounds in the church were their footsteps as they made their way out of the rear of the church. There was a large black SUV waiting for them out back. It was a few minutes while seats were lowered so that the stretcher could be slid inside without moving Kevin. That done, the rest climbed in and the driver turned onto the main roadway. Traffic in the area was fairly light but their destination was not particularly close so it still took over 30 minutes for them to arrive.

The SUV pulled up to a side entrance of one London's most recognized landmarks. The sight that had filled people with hope during the relentless bombing runs by the Germans during World War II. Sirius couldn't help but blurt out "St. Paul's Cathedral? This is your safe house?"

Marcus chuckled softly "What better place? St. Paul's has provided sanctuary and hope to people for centuries."

Marcus led them over to a small service building attached to the cathedral. Inside was a service elevator, it wasn't large enough to fit them all in one trip so Connor went with Kevin on the first trip. Murphy and Sirius followed on the second trip. Rather than give them a tour of the facilities, Marcus lead them directly to the medical facilities.

The medical facilities were not large, but they appeared to be very well equipped. A locked dispensary lined one of the walls; the opposite wall sported a large glass window that looked into what appeared to be a functional operating room. Joseph and the Driver carried Kevin over to the examination table and gently set him down.

Marcus walked back into the room with an attractive blond woman. She had sandy blond hair with green eyes and a fair complexion. Her hair was pulled back into a pony tail that hung just past her shoulders. "Our doctor is on his way but Michelle can at least relieve some of the pain in the time being." Marcus explained.

Kevin wasn't even interested in asking how, he just needed something to take the edge off. It was the only thing he could concentrate on at the moment. No one else asked any questions either, they simply watched as Michelle sat down next to Kevin and placed her hands on either side of his injured knee. She bowed her head and only Kevin heard her begin to pray softly. A pale golden glow began to emanate from her hands and spread over Kevin's leg. To everyone watching, they could see the lines in Kevin's face ease and some of the tension leave his body. Once the glow had faded, Kevin said sincerely "Thank you."

"Michelle is one of our members that has learned to use her magic. Like some of the others, she uses her prayers as a focus to shape her magic. Unfortunately, she can't heal your brother but she is able to dull the pain until the doctor is able to examine him." Joseph explained.

"If you view their magic as an expression of their faith, do you use it to help people outside of the Order?" Connor asked curiously.

"No while there are practical reasons why we don't do it, specifically it would draw too much attention to us there are also other considerations. A faith based on miracles is weak and will not stand up to adversity. True faith is when people continue to believe even if they don't get their miracles."

The brothers fell silent as they considered the man's words. It made a certain amount of sense, but in their case, the demonstrations were necessary to rouse the people to stand against the darkness in the world.

While they were waiting for the doctor to arrive, Sirius asked a question that had been bothering him "How do you know so much about the wizarding world? If none of you are wizards or witches then how did you know about the Order of the Phoenix and Dumbledore's interest in Kevin?"

"We have members from all walks of life including wizards and witches. Most of them are muggleborn as you call them. They chose to leave the wizarding world for their safety or to escape the prejudice of that world. And honestly, the Order of the Phoenix is not a very well kept secret, we don't know all its members but it has long been known that Dumbledore is the leader."

A thought struck Sirius just then "You have someone on the inside of the Order don't you. That's the only way you could know who Kevin was unless that was explained in your dream as well."

"Very good Mr. Black but you are correct. We do have someone on the inside of the Order but for the time being their identity will need to remain secret."

The conversation continued for some time before the doctor walked into the infirmary. Connor explained Kevin's injury and what had happened during the course of the day and the previous evening.

The doctor approached Kevin and said in a dry voice "I must say Mr. MacManus it really isn't wise to be out an about so much so soon after your surgery. Maybe you need to be more selective in who you associate with."

Kevin couldn't help but laugh a little. "I would if I could but I seem to be in demand at the moment."

"Well let's see what it is going to take to get you back on your feet." The doctor proceeded to ask Kevin a series of questions about his original injury and what he had been feeling today. Kevin also described the tear he felt followed by the almost blinding pain afterwards.

"Unfortunately, we will need to take you to the hospital. I don't have the necessary equipment here to confirm my diagnosis but I suspect that you ripped the tendons in your knee again. Luckily, we can do the surgery here so there will be no danger of detection."

Arrangements were made to sneak Kevin into a hospital for the scan while the others were shown to rooms where they would be sleeping. It was two to a room so Murphy was going to share with Sirius and Connor would share with Kevin.

Later that day, Kevin was in the infirmary again, this time in the operating room. The scans performed at the hospital confirmed the doctor's initial diagnosis. The tendons in Kevin's knee had torn again. Rather than perform the surgery at the hospital where they could be detected by magical means, the group returned back to the safe house underneath St. Paul's.

While Kevin was undergoing the surgery, Sirius asked "Why can't we be found while we are here? Are there wards of some kind?"

Connor and Murphy turned their attention from the surgery to Joseph when he started to answer. "There are wards of a sort. Churches have always been sanctuaries from persecution. The faith of those passing through the doors provides the power necessary to protect those who come here seeking shelter. So they are not wards that protect us from harm while we are here but they serve to provide the sanctuary sought by so many."

"I can't believe the wizarding world doesn't know about this. Why don't more people know about this?" Sirius exclaimed.

Joseph just gave him a bland look while he sipped from a cup of coffee. He didn't bother to answer the question. Sirius blushed when he took a moment to think about how insular the wizarding world had become. They would never bother with something that could work with muggles too, it would be beneath them.

The surgery itself didn't take all that long. The doctor told them that the surgery had gone fine and that there were no complications. Kevin should be waking up in the next couple of hours. Long term, he would require some physical therapy but he should not have any loss of mobility. He did caution them that he should take it easy for the next few weeks to allow the tendons some time to heal before he began to move around again. Murphy grimaced a little at this news; Kevin would go nuts if he was stuck in bed or in a wheel chair for that long. He was going to be a nightmare to deal with. The only bright spot was that it would give Kevin a chance to begin learning how to use his magic.

_**Infirmary, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry, UK**_

Even though he was still confined to the infirmary, Albus called a meeting of the Order of the Phoenix. It was imperative that they find Harry Potter and bring him back here. It also appeared that they would need to plan some defenses against muggle weaponry. While he had never been dismissive of them the way Voldemort and the other purebloods were, Albus still did not truly believe that they could do anything against a powerful wizard. He shook his head ruefully, that fact had been driven home quite painfully. It was fortunate that Remus and Minerva were with him otherwise he would have most likely died before anyone found him.

The higher ranking members within the Order had all arrived. Some such as Remus or Alastor had already been at Hogwarts, but others such as Kingsley Shacklebolt and the Weasleys had to apparate to Hogsmeade and walk up to the school. Now, they were all seated in chairs arrayed around his bed. Albus himself was sitting up but Poppy had expressly forbidden him from leaving for another day and it simply wasn't worth listening to her harping if he disregarded her instructions.

"Albus what happened, how did you end up in the infirmary?" Molly Weasley asked, concern oozing from her body.

"It seems Mr. Potter was not as eager to return to the wizarding world as I had expected."

Remus warned "Albus, I think you better get used to thinking of him as Kevin MacManus. He made his opinion of the matter pretty clear."

Kingsley asked confused "Why wouldn't he be eager to come back and why did he change his name?"

Even Alastor rolled his eyes at that "He didn't change his name. The boy was abandoned, no one knew his name and so he was raised as Kevin MacManus. How would you feel if someone came along and insisted on calling you something else?" Everyone, even Albus was staring at Moody. It was an unusually sensitive comment for the old Auror to make.

"Be that as it may, he has a responsibility to our world. Whether he likes it or not, he needs to take up his mantle." Albus insisted. Many of the other Order members were nodding their heads in agreement. Apparently, they did not have a problem with trying to force an 18 year old to into a position that would turn him into an icon for their entire world whether he wanted it or not.

Remus and Alastor shared a look. They would argue against this but in the end would go along with it for show. The pair would be of no use to Kevin if there were excluded from all the discussions.

So Remus took up his role as devil's advocate and asked "Why? What is this responsibility he has to our world? What has our world done for him that he owes anything to us?"

"Remus you know of the prophecy, Harry is the only one who can defeat Voldemort. The people need to know that their savior is fighting for them."

"You know that prophecies have a way of working themselves out despite what is done to help or hinder them. So why should we force Kevin…" Remus placed greater emphasis on the name "to be our savior?" The last was said with disgust.

Molly argued "The children have grown up listening to tales of Harry Potter. It would crush them if they didn't think he was going to come and save them a second time. Is that what you really want?"

"Again, why should Kevin be the one to take up this responsibility? Why don't the parents themselves standup and defend their children, they are the ones ultimately responsible for their safety? You and Arthur are doing something. You joined the Order of the Phoenix; you are actively helping to bring about the end of Voldemort, why should we not expect the same of them?"

"Not everyone is able to help Remus. It shouldn't be their responsibility."

"It shouldn't be Kevin's either. He was less than two years old when Voldemort tried to kill him. By some random chance, he survived and now the wizarding world expects him to save their collective asses again when they could be standing up for themselves. This way is much easier isn't it? This way, they don't need to put themselves at risk, they can push that off onto someone else, let them risk their life. I don't blame Kevin in the least for not wanting to come back." Remus saw that he had at least given the other Order members something to think about. He just wished it was something he had been willing to consider when Sirius first left.

"My decision stands Remus. We will have a team sit outside of his apartment. No doubt he will be back there to pick up supplies if nothing else. Another team will keep Sirius Black's home under surveillance, it is possible that they will return there to hide behind his wards. Once I'm out of the infirmary, I will perform another tracking spell to narrow down his location if we haven't captured him."

"So you plan on kidnapping him again?"

"He must be trained and made ready for his fight with Voldemort. Nothing else matters."

Remus scowled, talking to Albus was like talking to a brick wall at times. The man was always convinced in his own infallibility. "I hope you are prepared to deal with more injuries than because he practically killed you and I'm pretty sure he wasn't trying to at the time. In fact he warned us that next time; the healers wouldn't have a chance to help."

Arthur protested "Surely, he didn't mean to injure Albus. I'm positive the boy was just scared and acting out. Once he comes to realize how badly we need him, he will come around."

Remus just stayed silent. Most of the Order members were sunk too deep into Albus' cult of personality to truly question the man's actions or decisions. He had said his peace and given a few something to think about. It was the best he could hope for. After the meeting broke up, he would send a message to Sirius and hope it reached him.

"I know things are difficult at the moment but in the end Harry will be returned to us. With him to fight for us, the Light will stand victorious over Voldemort." Albus finished, a fanatical light gleaming in his eyes.

Alastor couldn't help but notice that Albus only said that the lad would fight for us. Albus did not intend to give him any other authority. He would simply be a tool to use in the battle against Voldemort. At one time, Alastor would not have had a problem with that after all sacrifices had to be made. But, it was only a sacrifice if it was voluntary, what Albus was doing was no different than Voldemort. He was putting Kevin in place to face all the hazards while he himself remained safely behind the lines pulling the strings. Too many good Aurors had been lost that way by the Ministry but at least they had chosen to put themselves at risk. Alastor would be damned if he let it happen again.

_**Hidden Location, UK**_

Voldemort was once again holding council but this time only his inner circle was present. Noticeably absent were Avery, Snape, and Malfoy. Their absence only served to anger Voldemort further but for now he restrained himself. The other Death Eaters were mindless recruits not good for much more than random killings and destruction. The inner circle was different. They were far more powerful and influential in the wizarding world. It was this reason that Voldemort was so angered by Snape and Malfoy's disappearance.

"MacNair, what have you learned?" Voldemort asked harshly. Though he wasn't as quick to punish them, he was not civil either.

A little nervously MacNair stuttered out "There have been no sightings of them by any of our contacts in Europe. I bribed the goblins at Gringott's for information but they said that there has been no activity on either of their accounts. I'm sorry my lord but unless they planned this months ahead of time, I think they have either been captured by the Order or are dead."

Waves of magic rolled off of Voldemort as he struggled to get his anger under control. The mere thought of Severus and Lucius in the hands of the Order was enough to send him into a rage. "MacNair, I want you to start surveillance on the Weasleys. They may know something about the location of Lucius or Severus."

"Of course my lord."

"Does anyone else have anything to report?"

Rabastan began speaking in his deep voice "My lord, I learned through one of our spies within the Ministry that Avery and his team were killed last night when they attempted to kill Sirius Black."

Voldemort was too surprised to punish the man "Dead, how did Black do it?"

"It had to be the Order of the Phoenix my lord. There is no way that Black could have done it alone." Rabastan was visibly cringing by the end waiting for the punishment that was sure to come.

"Dumbledore!" Voldemort growled. Again waves of magic were rolling off him, buffeting the Death Eaters in the room. Cracks appeared in the glass windows and the table splintered before he finally got himself under control again.

"It is long past time we take the fight to Dumbledore's doorstep. Without his Order behind him, the man is nothing. MacNair, I expect you to have identified any patterns in the Weasleys' behavior by next week. We will capture one and kill the rest of the family."

Voldemort ended the meeting after issuing orders for several other Order members to be watched. With the Order out of the way, Dumbledore's position would be neutralized. Voldemort would be able to eliminate him at his leisure. The only threat to his power would be Harry Potter. While everyone else thought the boy was dead, he could still feel his tenuous connection to the boy. After Dumbledore was out of the way, he would initiate his search for the boy and eliminate the last threat to his power.


	8. Lines are Being Drawn

A/N: I do not own Harry Potter & Co. or The Boondock Saints.

A/N 2: This chapter has some torture in it.

A/N 3: The goblin name discussion mentioned briefly in this chapter is just making fun of the cliché that everyone seems to use that same names for goblins regardless of the story.

**Chapter 8: Lines are being drawn**

**November 28th, 1998**

_**London, UK**_

Remus left Hogwarts that night after the Order meeting drew to a close. During his conversations with Alastor, the man confessed to having put his home under the _Fidelius_ charm. Once he was outside the wards preventing apparition he disappeared with a soft crack. He reappeared back in London near the Leaky Cauldron. He walked up the street and found a taxi to take him to Moody's home. After the taxi had left, he removed a slip of paper from his pocket and committed the secret to memory. A sturdy wood and brick home phased into sight. Rolling his eyes briefly at the man's paranoia, he entered the home and made his way to the attic.

Just as Alastor had described, there was a small table with writing supplies near his owl's cage. He began to write the message to Sirius. He apologized for his actions and then gave a detailed accounting of the Order's plans for Kevin. He finished by letting him know that both he and Alastor would do what they could to make sure that nothing happened to Kevin if he should be captured.

After reading through the letter once more to make sure it was complete, he opened the cage. The large light brown barn owl stared at Remus calmly while he attached the letter to it leg. However, it refused to leave the cage. Alastor had warned him ahead of time that his owl would not deliver anything without first getting a password. Remus had been astounded by the level of paranoia that reflected but none the less he gave the password "Dragon slayer." No sooner had he finished saying the password and the owl was out of its cage and flying out the window.

Remus only hoped that Sirius would read the letter and begin to forgive him for being so impossibly dense. Maybe tomorrow he's be able to look at himself in the mirror again.

**November 29th, 1998**

_**DMLE, Ministry of Magic, London, UK**_

Amelia Bones was sitting behind her desk reviewing the latest reports on Death eater raids. A steaming cup of tea was sitting in front of her and she shuffled through the papers. The reports did not contain any new information. As usual the Death Eaters attacked and left before the Aurors could capture any of them. There was still no clue where they were operating out of or who their members were. Of course, there were many suspected of being Death Eaters during Voldemort's first rise but thanks to Fudge, many had been released on the flimsiest of excuses. No doubt they were all back serving their master now that he had risen again.

The door to her office opened after a polite knock. Her secretary, a junior Auror name Pelsey poked his head in. "Ma'am Senior Auror Shacklebolt is here for your appointment."

Amelia didn't look up; she just said absently "Yes, please send him in." Since Voldemort's second rise, she had begun to suspect that a handful of her Aurors were also members of the Order of the Phoenix, perhaps the worst kept secret in the wizarding world. The same Aurors always seemed to be first on the scene. There was a chance that they were unmarked Death Eaters but Amelia held most of them in high regard and suspected they were following Dumbledore's banner rather than Voldemort's.

Kingsley Shacklebolt was a tall black man with a shaved head and dark eyes and an Auror she had kept her eye on. He walked into the office and stood stiffly in front of Amelia's desk waiting to be recognized. She waited a moment while she finished reading the final pieces of a report before turning her attention to Kingsley.

"What do you have to report Kingsley?" There had been a spectacular defeat for the Death Eaters a couple of nights ago in a muggle neighborhood. Someone had killed what appeared to be the entire raiding party and even one of Voldemort's inner circle had not escaped the carnage.

"Ma'am, the Obliviators have modified the memories of everyone that was on the scene. The bodies of the Death Eaters have been taken to the forensic wizards to determine the cause of death. At a glance, it looks like they were killed with muggle weapons, though some of the bodies do show spell residue."

"You're saying that muggles are responsible for killing one of Voldemort's inner circle?" Amelia asked trying in vain to keep the amusement from her voice. If muggles were responsible, it was most likely someone with illegal guns. Had the Death Eaters stumbled onto a bad scene or had they been specifically targeted?

It was Kingsley's turn to smile. "Yes ma'am." He sobered up a moment later "Ma'am, it's unlikely that the Obliviators were able to find everyone. I would be very surprised if most the survivors hadn't scattered before we ever arrived on the scene."

"I'd had the same thought, but as of yet there has been nothing in the muggle press. So if there were witnesses, they haven't told anyone. So there is no danger for the moment, at least nothing we can do anything about. Now, what makes you think they were killed with muggle weapons?"

"As I said, most of the bodies did not have any spell residue. Also, the wounds were clearly not made with a knife. It might have been a firearm of some sort. By the size of some of the wounds, it had to be a powerful one too."

Amelia studied the man standing before her. He was a wizard through and through and though he did not give credence to the pure blood nonsense he was never one to bother with muggles. It merely seemed to confirm the suspicion she had held for some time.

"Why were you on the scene so quickly? We had not even received word at head quarters of the attack when you had communicated in." Amelia asked curiously.

Kingsley stuttered for a moment in surprise before coming up with a reasonable answer "I was having dinner with a friend, Arthur Weasley, nearby and heard the cries." It would have been a reasonable answer if he made it a habit of eating in the muggle world.

Now Amelia frowned openly. She folder her hands tightly in front of her on the desk and stared at the man coldly. The man was lying to her and she would not stand for that. "Would this be the same Arthur Weasley that was working late that night? And since when did you begin frequenting muggle restaurants?"

Kingsley's mouth opened for a second before he snapped it shut again. He was unable to think of a lie that Amelia would believe so he remained silent hoping she would drop the matter but knowing she wouldn't.

"Auror Shacklebolt, I asked you a question. Why were you at that restaurant?" Amelia was not a physically intimidating woman but when angry she had an aura that told others she was not to be trifled with.

Kingsley knew he couldn't lie to her. Clearly she suspected he was involved somehow, he could only hope she didn't think he was a Death Eater. Still, he was reluctant to answer and was trying desperately to think up an excuse that could get him out of this.

Her eyes flashing with anger now, Amelia asked again coldly "Unless you want to go to a holding cell, I suggest you answer me. Were you there as an Auror or a member of the Order of the Phoenix?" There it was, her suspicion was laid out on the table for all to see.

There was no choice now. Amelia had already guessed the answer. "Yes ma'am, I was there as a member of the Order."

Amelia expected the answer but she was still incredibly disappointed in one of her best Aurors. "You realize that I could have you arrested for being part of a vigilante organization? Give me one good reason why I shouldn't."

Kingsley was shocked. Of course the Order was not sanctioned by the Ministry but it was run by Albus Dumbledore. How could she possibly object to his participation with a group led the leader for the light? "Ma'am? The Order of the Phoenix is led by Albus Dumbledore. Surely you don't object to a group led by him?"

"Unless I'm mistaken, Albus Dumbledore is the headmaster for Hogwarts and head of the Wizengamot. Nowhere in those responsibilities is he given authority to lead a guerilla war against Voldemort. I will give you a choice, you can swear an oath to give up your participation in the Order or I can fire you and have you thrown into Azkaban for membership in a vigilante organization." When she first began suspecting that some of her Aurors were members of the Order, she took the time to come up with contingency plans. The men and women were too good to fire or throw into Azkaban except as a last resort. The oath had been the best approach that she could come up with that wouldn't hamstring her Aurors.

Kingsley was silent for a few moments as he thought over what was being asked of him. If he was thrown in Azkaban, there would be nothing that Albus could do for him and he would be useless in the fight against Voldemort. At least if he gave Amelia is oath; he would keep his job as an Auror and continue to save lives. Realizing that again he had no real choice open to him, he took the oath.

Once Kingsley had sworn the oath, Amelia relaxed somewhat. Her shoulders slumped a little and she relaxed into her chair. She understood his desire to do more. For too long, she had been hamstrung by the Fudge. Because of him, too many Death Eaters had gone free and the Auror resources had been cut. "Kingsley, I understand your frustrations. Now that Voldemort has made his presence known, I can act without repercussions. Fudge wouldn't dare block what I have planned or the public would tear him apart."

"My joining the Order was in no way a reflection of your leadership ma'am. As you said, the Aurors have been held back by Fudge and his head-in-the-sand approach to fighting this war. I couldn't look myself in the mirror if I didn't do something." Kingsley said sincerely.

"I won't ask you to betray your former comrades but I'm curious. Despite Albus' claims to fight against Voldemort there has been little evidence of the Order doing anything. What has he been having people work on?"

Kingsley weighed his position and felt that Amelia had a right to know all the information available that could be of use in fighting the Death Eaters and Voldemort. "Albus believes that Harry Potter is the key to winning the war against Voldemort." He went on to explain the prophecy that Dumbledore had hinted at. He also told her that Harry had been found living under the name Kevin MacManus.

The shock of Kingsley's revelations was plain on Amelia's face. She couldn't believe that Harry Potter had been found and more importantly it had been kept secret. "Has anyone approached him yet? Does he know anything about the wizarding world?" She couldn't help but ask.

"We think he has had recent contact with Sirius Black so he knows something of our world. There is reason to believe that he and his brothers had been having dinner at the restaurant that the Death Eaters attacked." He paused for a moment, gathering his courage before pressing on. "Yesterday on Dumbledore's orders two members of the Order … um…they kidnapped him from his home."

Amelia's mouth dropped open before being replaced by a grim expression. "If I find out that you had any part in this, oath or not I will throw you in Azkaban."

"No, I didn't find out about it until afterwards. Apparently, Harry was not happy with the situation and used a muggle firearm to shoot Albus. If Albus had not gotten help as quickly as he did, then he probably would have died."

Now Amelia was chuckling at the image of the great Albus Dumbledore being brought down by a muggle gun. "So that disturbance at Hogwarts, that was caused by Harry?"

Kingsley shook his head "I think that was Sirius Black and probably Harry's brothers. They shot and stunned those Aurors before escaping the grounds."

"This changes things. We can't let Albus get his hands on the young man. If he is willing to stoop to kidnapping I don't want to imagine what lengths he will go to ensure that Harry fights Voldemort for him. Kingsley, I need you to keep your position in the Order for now. You are to report all plans and activities directly to me. Most importantly, any information you get on Harry Potter should be passed to me immediately. I will also have an emergency portkey issued to you. If they do manage to kidnap him again, I want you bring him to the Ministry safe house. The way Albus is treating him, we'll be lucky if the young man doesn't join Voldemort out of spite."

"Do you really think Dumbledore is capable of pushing Harry Potter that far that he would join the man who killed his parents?" Kingsley asked with a worried tone evident in his voice.

"Honestly, no I don't. I never would have expected Dumbledore to condone kidnapping either. The most realistic outcome would be Harry Potter leaving the wizarding world behind."

"What if Dumbledore is telling the truth and there is a prophecy?"

Amelia shrugged her shoulders. "If there is a prophecy than it's all in the hands of fate anyway. That being said, Dumbledore couldn't tell the whole truth if his life depended on it. There is something that he is holding back because he wants to control the situation."

The two Aurors were silent for a moment. Kingsley was coming to terms with the fact that he would be working against Dumbledore, thankfully he was still doing it for the right side though. It was also a relief that she hadn't asked if there were other Aurors that were members of the Order.

Something Amelia said came back to him and Kingsley asked curiously "Ma'am you said that you can act without repercussions now that Voldemort's return is public knowledge. What do you intend to do?"

"I have a meeting later today with Jonathon, the goblin manager of the UK branches of Gringott's. I…"

Kingsley cut her off "Jonathon? The manager of Gringott's is named Jonathon?"

Amelia laughed at the surprise on her Auror's face "Oh yes most goblins have quite human sounding names. It is only to satisfy our prejudice that they adopt an alias like Griphook. Regardless, I'm taking a page from the muggle's book on dealing with terrorists and criminals. Any suspected Death Eater will have their assets frozen until they are cleared of suspicion. Proven Death Eaters will have their assets seized by Gringott's and the Ministry."

"Fudge is willing to go along with this? Most of his supporters are suspected Death Eaters."

Amelia's grin this time was predatory "I know but he can't stop it without destroying his career and public image."

After letting that sink in, Amelia cleared her throat and dismissed him. "You have your orders Auror Shacklebolt. I expect regular updates."

Nodding his head in acknowledgement, Kingsley left Amelia's office.

**December 3rd, 1998**

_**The Burrow, Ottery St. Catchpole UK**_

Arthur Weasley, Ministry employee and clandestine member of the Order of the Phoenix, was walking back from the grocery store in town. Though it was cool, the sky was clear and the moon was out. At his side was Hestia Jones, an Auror with the DMLE and like Arthur a member of the Order. She was joining them for dinner then together they would go to the Order of the Phoenix meeting later in the evening. Privately, Arthur thought she might have a bit of a crush on his oldest son Bill but unfortunately, he was still in Egypt working on his latest curse-breaking assignment from Gringott's.

As they got closer to the Burrow, a sickly green light filled the night sky. A shimmering green sphere rose high into the sky and burst forming a skull with a snake slithering from its mouth. Arthur's entire body went cold. The Weasleys were the only magical family that lived in this portion of Ottery St. Catchpole, it couldn't be a coincidence.

Both Arthur and Hestia took off running towards the Burrow, the groceries lay scattered on the ground forgotten. What they found was Arthur's worst nightmare. Death Eaters surrounded the home which was engulfed in flames. There were screams coming from inside and he could see Molly and Ron beating at the windows trying to get out. The Death Eaters had sealed his family in to burn them alive.

Prior to that evening, no one would ever describe Arthur as anything but a friendly, pleasant man always willing to lend a helping hand to someone in need. The sight of his home burning and listening the screams of his family filled him with a hate he had never known. As soon as he was close enough, he yelled _Avada Kedavra_; the pale green spell shot from his wand like a bullet and ended the life of a masked Death Eater.

When the Death Eaters turned and started casting their own spells, Arthur yelled for Hestia "Run, get Dumbledore we need the Order here now!"

Hestia didn't want to leave, but she knew that the two of them would never hold off all these Death Eaters. So she began to run back the way she came until she reached the edge of the anti-apparition wards and disappeared with a loud crack to reappear at Hogwarts.

Desperation driving him to levels he had never before reached, Arthur was unleashing a barrage of blasting, cutting, and bone breaking curses. He didn't spare a second to see if any of his spells connected or did any damage. Another killing curse flew from his wand, catching another Death Eater in the face. He was preparing to cast the killing curse again when Arthur pitched forward onto the earth unconscious. A Death Eater stood behind him with his wand drawn.

MacNair turned to the Death Eater "Well done, but if he is dead, you will experience the most painful death possible. I will see to it." He motioned for two of the Death Eaters to pick up Arthur's body. "Take him to Lord Voldemort; he wants to question him personally." The Death Eaters chuckled coldly before dragging Arthur away.

MacNair waited a few more minutes and enjoyed the sight of the Burrow in flames. The screams from the Weasley family had finally stopped. He smirked; it was one less blood traitor family to worry about. After giving the signal, the Death Eaters portkeyed away back to Voldemort's headquarters to plan their next move and to watch the Dark Lord interrogate Arthur Weasley.

Seconds after MacNair and the other Death Eaters left, the Order of the Phoenix began to arrive. They spread out looking for Death Eaters. Hestia Jones along with Albus were directing the Order members. When no Death Eaters were found, they rushed to the Burrow and after a few minutes were able to bring the flames under control. Most of the home was destroyed but the doors and windows were still standing because of the spells placed on them by the Death Eaters.

It took Albus another few moments to remove the spells from the front door. Hestia had suggested just blowing through a wall but the condition of the home was such that it could collapse at any moment. Inside in the kitchen were the scorched remains of five people. Gasps could be heard from some of the older members who had long been friends with the Weasley family.

"Where's Arthur?" Someone asked.

Hestia said "He was either killed or captured by the Death Eaters. If they killed him, they would have left the body behind so I would guess he has been captured." She was proud of herself for managing to keep her voice cool and professional but all she really wanted to do was cry. The Weasleys had always been so wonderful to her, practically accepting her into the family. Now was not the time for tears though, she needed to be strong. There were only five bodies that meant that Bill and Charlie were probably unaware of what happened. Percy had abandoned the family for his ministry career long ago. "Albus, I am going to contact Bill and Charlie, they need to get home so they can bury their family."

His shoulders slumped, Albus looked truly defeated. "Yes thank you Hestia."

Someone asked angrily "Albus, where is Harry Potter? Why did he let this happen?" Like many wizards, even Order members expected Harry Potter to be their savior again.

Albus addressed the Order "Harry did not want to help us. He was most clear in his wishes."

"Has he gone dark, is that it? It's his job, if he had done what he was supposed to, the Weasleys would be alive right now." Someone else called out. There were angry mutters agreeing with the speaker.

"He owes it to the wizarding world, it doesn't matter what he wants! What are you going to do about this Albus?" Yet another member spoke out.

"I agree. It is Harry's duty to face Voldemort. We already have Order members waiting for him outside of his home. But for some reason my locator spells have failed to find any trace of him. Rest assured he will be made aware of his duty to the wizarding world."

There were still some angry mutters but most of those members present began to leave with the expectation that Harry Potter would take care of Voldemort for them. They did not want to face the Death Eaters or Voldemort, it would be much better to let someone else do it.

**December 4th, 1998**

_**Unknown Location, UK**_

Voldemort strolled into the dungeon. Arthur Weasley had been kept there for close to a day. Many would have expected him to be tortured with the Crucio or cutting curses. Perhaps, a bone breaking or bludgeoning curse thrown in for good measure just to keep things interesting. However, when it came to good old fashioned torture, Voldemort preferred to use his hands and a few simple implements. If there was one thing that he had admired in the muggle world, it was the torture techniques that they had developed.

Crossing the room, Voldemort approached a fire pit in the middle of the floor. He drew a poker that had been resting in the banked coals. For a second, he admired the glowing orange metal and the heat that was radiating off it. A slow smile grew on his face; it was time to wake Arthur up from his little nap.

Fire poker in hand, Voldemort strode over to where Arthur Weasley was hanging from the wall where he was shackled. Without even a second's hesitation, he pressed the glowing end of the fire poker against Arthur's chest and held it there. A long agonizing scream was ripped from Arthur as the skin on his chest blistered and smoked.

Gasping for breath, Arthur tried to glare at Voldemort but he didn't have the strength to raise his head. After dropping the fire poker onto the floor, Voldemort grabbed a handful of Arthur's hair and yanked back hard pulling his head up so Arthur could look into his eyes. "Arthur…Hopefully you'll me more talkative than you were last night. All that anger, you do realize it isn't healthy to keep it all locked up inside you?"

Arthur spat in Voldemort's face. "You monster, Harry Potter will defeat you. You'll burn in hell for everything you've done!"

Voldemort didn't flinch or react in any way to Arthur's act of defiance. He did take note of his promise though. It was interesting that when most of the wizarding world believed Harry Potter to be dead Arthur Weasley promised retribution from him. Perhaps the Order did have some information he needed to obtain. He released Arthur's hair but not before slamming his head into the wall.

Groaning, Arthur sagged against the shackles. His legs were too weak to hold him upright. "What do you want with me? Why don't you just kill me the way you did my family?" He asked hoarsely.

Voldemort's evil laugh echoed of the stone walls of the dungeon. "Oh I have every intention of killing you Arthur Weasley but not until after I've gotten every piece of useful information from you. Then you will die knowing that you failed not only your family but the entire wizarding world."

The next few hours were the worst in Arthur's entire existence. Voldemort employed all sorts of torture techniques he had learned of during his travels. Branding irons, fire pokers, knives, bamboo chips, they all made an appearance. Through the wonder that was magic, Arthur wasn't even allowed the escape of passing out. He was forced to experience ever mounting pain as skin was cut open or burned away, bones were broken and then healed only to be broken again, and throughout it all Voldemort was taunting him.

Finally, Arthur couldn't take it anymore. Begging between sobs "Please I'll tell you anything just please stop."

Grabbing his hair once more, Voldemort looked into Arthur's eyes when he asked "But how do I know if I can believe anything you have to say? You could by lying to me just to save yourself from a little pain."

"I won't lie to you, please you must believe me!" He said imploringly.

Everything Voldemort saw in Arthur's eyes told him that the man was broken. He wouldn't willingly lie to Voldemort. The fear of further pain was too great. "Very well, I'll trust you. So tell me what you know about Harry Potter."

Arthur almost babbled in his eagerness to give Voldemort information that he wanted. He explained their search for Harry and how they had eventually found him living under the name Kevin MacManus right in London. He finished his tale by describing the meeting with Albus in the infirmary and the wounds that Harry inflicted on Alastor Moody and Albus in his effort to escape after being kidnapped.

Like Albus, Voldemort knew that Harry Potter was not dead. There was still a residual connection between them from that fateful Halloween night. Try as he might, there was nothing to be gained by exploring the link. Something seemed to block it on Harry's end. Voldemort had suspected Occlumency but perhaps something else was hiding his location. It was an idea that would need to be explored.

It was amazing to him the lengths that Albus would go to in order to get his hands on the boy. Perhaps he could use that to his advantage; it was possible that Albus had alienated the boy to such a degree that he would be willing to join forces with him. Once Dumbledore was out of the way, he would be able to destroy the Potter boy at his leisure.

Surprisingly, the Order had not had any other real plans beyond the search and kidnapping for Harry Potter. The instances where they had managed to stop a raid by his Death Eaters tended to be more luck than anything else.

Once he was sure that Arthur had given him all the information he knew about Harry Potter and the Order, he lifted Arthur's head one final time. _"Legillimens!" _He whispered and ripped his way into Arthur's mind. The man had been well and truly broken. Everything he had shared had been true and there was nothing that had been held back. Voldemort continued to tear into his mind searching for any tidbits that might have been overlooked. Snarling in disgust at the overwhelming amount of useless muggle knowledge the man had, Voldemort pulled out of Arthur's mind.

Arthur was incoherent; his sanity had been destroyed by Voldemort's assault.

Voldemort used a small dagger to carve a message into Arthur's chest before slashing both wrists. In a short amount of time, Arthur Weasley, father of 7 was dead.

After placing a portkey on the body, Voldemort activated it; send the remains to the gates of Hogwarts.

He had things to do now. The first thing was to compose a message to Harry Potter offering him a place at his side. Perhaps he would even offer some training, of course nothing that could be used against him but it would do no good to have a useless servant. The letter had been written and sent on its way with his owl when he called his Death Eaters together. Like Dumbledore, he would start his own search for the boy.

_**Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry, UK**_

Minerva McGonagall was walking the grounds of Hogwarts when she noticed a murder of crows that appeared to be crawling over something, possibly the remains of some unfortunate animal. Casting a quick spell, the crows scattered with startled _caws. _The birds cries were replaced with Minerva's scream when caught sight of the ruins of Arthur Weasley's body.

Albus and the other professors came running a few minutes later after they received Minerva's signal. Since Harry Potter's escape they had setup a warning system to bring the other staff members when help was needed. This was the first time it had been used. Pomona Sprout started crying when saw the body. Filius Flitwick and Albus took charge of the situation. Filius conjured a blanked and wrapped the body up while Albus levitated it to bring it back to Hogwarts. Bill and Charlie would have to be notified that they had another family member to bury.

Albus sighed, it was more critical than ever to get Harry Potter now. If Arthur had been tortured he may have disclosed what the Order knew about Harry Potter and his whereabouts. The boy must be made to fight, there was no other choice.

**December 8th, 1998**

**_St. Paul's Cathedral, London, UK_**

It had been more than a week since Kevin's surgery and he was still stuck in bed most of the time. The doctor had decided that given the first set back it was better to be on the safe side so he had ordered Kevin restricted to bed rest for two weeks. It had also given Kevin a chance to get to know Sirius better.

The two were talking quietly one afternoon a few days after the surgery. Sirius had been describing some of the escapades that he and Harry's father had been part of during their school days. Kevin laughed at the stories but more importantly, he began to feel a connection to his birth parents. It had been such a relief when Sirius first told him what had happened, to know that he hadn't been abandoned by them. He had been upset that his aunt would do such a thing but it wasn't nearly as important to him anymore.

Through it all, there was a question that kept coming up in Kevin's head. Finally, he couldn't hold it back anymore. "Sirius, why are you doing this? Why are you helping us?" As much as he liked Sirius, he didn't know why the man was willing to give up any semblance of a normal life for someone he had just met, even if he was his godfather.

Sirius just stared at Kevin incredulously. "Don't you want me here?" His face reflecting his sorrow at the prospect.

Kevin rushed to reassure the man "No, it's not that at all. I'm just amazed that you would be so willing to give up your chance at a normal life for someone you haven't seen in 17 years."

Sirius actually sighed in relief. "Kevin I don't think you really understand. I didn't leave the wizarding world because I had been betrayed or maybe I should say that wasn't the only reason. To me, the bigger crime was how they treated you and how they planned on using you. I know you don't know me all that well yet but you were the thing that kept me sane while I was in Azkaban. Since the day I first held you, I've loved you as if you were my own. I'm not sacrificing anything by being here because as long as it is with you, then I'm where I belong." Sirius blushed a little at how sentimental that sounded "Wow, I could write greeting cards with that kind of emotional crap."

Kevin laughed softly relieved somewhat at the joke. "And you're really ok with all this, with what we're doing?"

"To be honest, I would be a lot happier if you have not been the one to have to do this. It's hard to doubt the truth of your dreams given who is helping you. That just means that my job is to make sure you can kill Voldemort and live to do whatever you want with your life. Hopefully you'll allow want me around for that too."

"I don't know if I will ever want to live in the wizarding world. I'm sure there will always be a connection to it of some sort but the little I've seen hasn't really impressed me." Kevin said honestly. He didn't want Sirius to stay with them expecting Kevin to return to the wizarding world when all was said and done.

"It doesn't matter to me. I left the wizarding world years ago. When I was your age, I couldn't imagine living in the muggle world but now after having done so…magic is great but you're right, there's so much that the average witch or wizard will never experience because they seclude themselves."

After that, the two men fell into a comfortable silence, simply enjoying the quiet company of the other.

**December 9th, 1998**

**_St. Paul's Cathedral, London, UK_**

In between time with Sirius and his brothers, Kevin had been learning to sense the magic within him. It was slow going. He had yet to accomplish anything with his magic but he was certain it was just a matter of time. His teachers were showing him how to meditate. According to them, it was the easiest way to sense his magic at first. Once he was able to accomplish that, they would work on sensing it while not meditating.

There had been glimpses of his magic a few times so far. It wasn't anything he saw inside himself; it was more of a feeling. Warmth would spread over his body along with an almost tingling sensation. In time, he was told, that would go away but for now his magic was trying to make itself known to him. The first couple of times he had felt it, he instinctively tried to reach out and grab it only to have it slip through his fingers. Kevin had to learn to call his magic to him, if he tried to force it nothing would ever happen.

That's what he was working on today. Kevin had been meditating for close to an hour when the door to his room opened startling him from his trance. Opening his eyes, he let out a groan of frustration. His magic had been so close; it had been dancing just outside of his reach. "Fuck, I almost had it!"

Connor had the grace to look a little embarrassed but Murphy and Sirius were oblivious. Sirius blurted out "Kevin you won't believe this." He handed Kevin a picture of the Order from before the time of his parents' death.

Kevin studied the picture, spending more time looking at the somber expressions on his parents' faces than anything else. "What am I supposed to be looking for?"

"It's Dumbledore, Connor and Murphy say he is marked." His face was a cross between malice and sadness. Sure the man had left him in that hellhole of a prison but never suspected there was any real malice behind it. Now he wasn't so sure.

"Oh yeah, I knew that already from when I shot him. Guess I forgot to tell you." Kevin said a little sheepishly.

Murphy laughed softly but Sirius grumbled "How do you forget to mention that Albus Dumbledore, the supposed leader for the light is no different than Voldemort?"

Connor answered for Kevin "I don't think his goals are evil or wrong Sirius. It is his methods. By the sounds of things, he crossed the line long ago, willing to sacrifice everything in the name of his cause. In his case, it's probably true that the road to hell is paved with good intentions."

"I know, it's just so hard to wrap my brain around. For all my life, he has been looked up to as some sort of paragon of good. Now I find out that he's damned just like those he's been fighting against."

"How do you think I feel? I almost put a bullet through his head instead of his shoulder."

"It's good that you didn't. People wouldn't understand yet and they would end up hunting you down with a greater ferocity than Voldemort. Despite his faults, Dumbledore has thoroughly hoodwinked the wizarding world into thinking he is infallible." Sirius said.

Connor warned "That may be but it won't save him. It just means that we will have to be careful when we take him out."


	9. Recruiting

A/N: I do not own Harry Potter & Co. or The Boondock Saints.

**Chapter 9: Recruiting**

**December 10th, 1998**

**_Remains of the Burrow, Ottery St. Catchpole, UK_**

Bill and Charlie were surveying the remains of the Burrow. After the fire, there wasn't much left and truth be told, they preferred it that way. It was bad enough to think of the last few minutes of their family members' lives without having to imagine it happening in their once happy home. This way, the home looked nothing like the place where they had grown up. Those memories would remain untouched by this atrocity, which was the only possible word for it in Bill's mind. Charlie would have felt similarly had he been able to feel anything but numb.

Neither man reacted when they heard a pair soft pops signaling the arrival of wizards or witches. It could have been a Death Eater and their reaction would have been the same, numb indifference. Luckily for them, it was not a Death Eater. It was their former headmaster and parents' friend, Albus Dumbledore. The man their parents had sworn to follow, the man who had done nothing for them as they were killed by Voldemort and his Death Eaters. The second was a scarred husk of a man, the paranoid retired Auror Alastor Moody.

After hearing a polite cough, Bill and Charlie turned towards the men. Albus was sad to see the expressionless faces before him that were obviously sunken in grief. "Bill, Charlie you have my deepest condolences. Your parents have been good friends for many years and I wish something like this had never come to pass. They deserved better."

Charlie was silent but Bill found the strength to answer "Yes they did, but that's never stopped Voldemort before. I just don't understand how people could do something so cruel as to let them burn alive."

Albus sighed heavily "You can't blame the men and women who were here that night Bill. They have fallen under the sway of Voldemort; we can only hope that one day they will see the error of the ways. It's unfortunate that it seems to take these kinds of tragedies to make them see the horror of what they have done."

Charlie's face for the first time showed some emotion and it wasn't sorrow or grief. No, his face and neck were turning a deep red as he struggled to keep his anger and his opinion to himself. Unlike his parents, he had never idolized Albus Dumbledore. Yes the man was a powerful wizard but what had he really done to stop Voldemort the first time or what had he done since his fall. He was perhaps the most influential wizard in the UK and he allowed the status quo to remain. Now his parents were dead because of it.

Bill glanced over and saw Charlie battling with his anger. They had already spent many hours talking about what they would do. Nothing would bring their family back, but that didn't mean they wouldn't be avenged. It was all that kept them going at the moment. "Albus I meant to ask you, why was 'Harry Potter Lives' carved into my father's chest. I thought you said he was captured by Death Eaters."

Albus weighed his words carefully. Bill and Charlie Weasley would be powerful allies with their expertise and contacts. "Yes Bill, he was captured by the Death Eaters. I believe it was a message from Voldemort. He has discovered that Harry Potter is indeed alive and will no doubt begin searching for the boy to kill him as he did his parents all those years ago."

Charlie was amazed to hear that Harry Potter was still alive. When he had disappeared, the wizarding world eventually gave up hope of ever finding him alive. He said in a voice, rough with grief "That doesn't explain why he would send that message. What good would one wizard do against Voldemort and his Death Eaters, especially one that is barely of age?"

Alastor had remained silent the entire time. He was simply observing the two remaining Weasleys. Albus hoped to recruit them into the Order of the Phoenix most likely by exploiting their grief. But he was seeing something different, he saw a fire in their eyes and it wasn't a drive for justice. No these two were focused on revenge, a concept that Alastor himself was very familiar with. It will be interesting to see how this progresses.

"Charlie, it saddens me to be the one to tell you this but Harry Potter had the chance to help your family and he chose to do nothing. Now he will have their deaths on his head." Albus was hoping that he could focus them on Harry Potter and get them to search for the boy and ensure that he never escaped again before his job was done.

"What are you talking about Albus? What chance did he have, we've never even met him before? If my parents had, I'm sure they would've told us." Bill questioned.

Albus explained what had occurred with the Order. He described Harry's abrupt visit to Hogwarts and equally abrupt departure. He finished by stating it was his belief that having defeated Voldemort once, it was Harry's duty to defeat him again. After all, he owed it to the wizarding world to be the savior they needed. By the end of his tale, Albus' eyes were glowing with a fanatical light.

"I know this time has been hard on you both, but I would like you to join the Order of the Phoenix. We can offer you protection and you will be able to make sure that Harry Potter would be in a position to prevent other families from suffering a similar fate. Your skills could be invaluable in bringing the Death Eaters back to the Light."

Alastor was growing more and more disgusted with Albus. The man was truly deranged if he thought that Potter was at fault or in any way culpable for the deaths of the Weasley clan. Prophecy or not, the boy owed the wizarding world absolutely nothing. Hopefully, he could be made to see reason and do what needed to be done but it was unlikely that Albus would be the one to convince him. Of course another Order was already assisting Potter even now he mused. It was a little ironic that one would help him while the other only hindered him.

Bill didn't even need to ask Charlie his opinion. Still, it wouldn't be a good idea to burn any bridges at this point so Bill did the only thing he could do, he stalled. "Albus, I think I can speak for both of us when I say that we are honored that you would ask us to join. Of course we heard of the good work that the Order of the Phoenix has done in the past from our parents. At this time, though I think we both need time to grieve for our family. We will give this a lot of thought but right now we just need time."

Albus nodded his head attempting but failing to hide his disappointment that they weren't falling all over themselves in their rush to join. He was sure that the chance at punishing Harry Potter for failing their family would have won them over but perhaps they were too lost in their grief at the moment. "I understand Bill and when you and Charlie feel up to it, the offer will be there. Just remember that until we can get Harry Potter to stand up and face Voldemort no one will be safe. Other families may suffer the same fate as your own." His final message delivered, Albus disapparated with a pop missing the disgusted expressions on all three men's faces.

Alastor disapparated as well, but he reappeared a short distance away and promptly disillusioned himself. He listened to what the Weasleys had to say about Albus' message.

As soon as Albus and Alastor had disappeared, Charlie spun on Bill, finally losing control of his anger "Bill what the hell were you thinking telling him we would give it some thought. That man is the reason our family is dead!"

"Don't you think I know that? Who knows what he would've done if I'd told him to go to hell." Bill hissed.

"Wait…what?"

"Charlie, I don't know what the bloody hell is going on but there is something seriously wrong when the _greatest wizard in the world_…" The sneer was obvious in his voice "blames the death of our family on Harry Potter because he refused to help after being kidnapped by the bloody Order of the Phoenix."

"You caught that too? But what can we do? Harry Potter doesn't owe the wizarding world shit. Hell we let that twinkling eyed bastard get away with abandoning the kid simply because he is the great Albus Dumbledore. Something tells me though that he's going to be stuck fighting this war with us whether he wants to or not."

Bill stared at his younger brother, unused to hearing something so insightful from him. "I'm not sure; we have to keep our ears to the ground. Until the Ministry can get their head out of their ass, we can only hope that there is an alternative out there to Dumbledore. Because I don't know about you but I'm not as forgiving as Dumbledore seems to be."

"God, I couldn't believe he could spout that crap to us. I mean for god's sake the Death Eaters just killed our family, all we have left is that ungrateful shit Percy and he wants us to forgive them. Because they were just led astray by the evil Voldemort. It's bullshit, those people knew exactly what they were doing and I personally would love to feed them to some of the dragons on the reserve, preferably while they're alive."

Alastor had seen everything he needed to. These two were definitely smart enough to look at Albus with their eyes open. It would be too obvious if he approached them directly. After being seen with Albus, their trust would be almost impossible to earn. Where he would fail though, there might be others that could be the fourth column the young men were looking for. It was time to send another message.

**December 28th, 1998**

_**St. Paul's Cathedral, London, UK**_

Kevin was lying in his bed staring up at the ceiling. Not for the first time he thought about how much this situation sucked. God he was sick of being stuck here but until his brace came off, he wouldn't have enough mobility to risk exposure. At least his physical therapy was going ok and he had made a lot of progress in connecting with his magic even if it was still exhausting to use most of the time. His only real Christmas present had been from his doctors, barring setbacks he would be rid of the brace in another two weeks.

Another loud sighed escaped him. "Kev, what the fuck is up with you?" Connor said.

He could help but let some of his resentment come through "I'm going nuts in here. At least you and Murph get out but I'm too fragile to risk going outside."

"Get off it Kev, you know we don't think you're weak. But what the hell would you do if they came to grab you? You can't exactly run now can you?"

Everything was piling up on him and he no outlet since he was stuck here. Connor often became the target of his frustrations. "Fuck you Connor! I did fine against the Death Eaters and I did fine against the ancient son of a bitch. I don't need everyone babying me!"

"Jesus Kev, you just about destroyed your knee getting away from that old fuck. Did it occur to you that maybe, just maybe you need to take it easy for a while?"

Kevin huffed, refusing to acknowledge the truth behind Connor's statement.

"Kev act your fucking age. I know this sucks for you right now but the doctors said the brace comes off in two weeks then you can do whatever the hell you want."

"Yeah like they'll let me just waltz out of here whenever I want."

Connor just looked at him strangely "I swear to you that if you want, we are out of here as soon as the brace is off. No one fucks with a MacManus and the Order of the Garter can take their help and shove it up their ass if they don't listen to what you want. Until that time can you just relax? It's only two more fucking weeks."

"I…I just hate feeling so fucking helpless. I hate the fact that I'm never alone. Even when I talk to my girlfriend, I swear someone is making a transcript of the damn conversation."

"You've been stuck here for more than three weeks; it's bound to make anyone a little stir crazy."

"Whatever." Kevin grumbled.

"Come on, get dressed, we have some more planning to do before we can take out that Death Eater MacNair."

"Fine, fine." Kevin swung his legs off the bed and spent a few minutes struggling into a pair of loose sweat pants that fit over his brace. After changing his t-shirt, he grabbed his crutches and followed Connor out of the room. One thing Kevin was grateful for was the heavy stone walls that made up the safe house; they kept all his conversations and arguments with Connor private. He knew he was being childish but being stuck in this place was getting to him. Thankfully, Connor would only tolerate so much of his shit before he told Kevin to shut up and get over himself.

Kevin made his way towards the room that had been set aside for their use. The walls were covered with clippings from the Daily Prophet and photos of Death Eaters during the first war. Many of the people in the photos had a large 'X' drawn through them. Those were the ones that had been killed either in the past or more recently. Others had a circle, those were the ones that Sirius knew to still be alive and the brothers confirmed that they were all official targets.

Struggling a little, Kevin settled down in a chair after resting his crutches next to his chair. He was getting around a lot easier now and the pain was mostly gone now, there was just the occasional dull ache when he worked too hard at his physical therapy. Barely any time had passed before he was joined by Connor, Murphy, and Sirius.

Sirius and Murphy looked a little warily at Kevin. Evidently Connor had warned them about his mood ahead of time. Part of him wanted to laugh that his elders were tiptoeing around him but the other part just wanted rail into them, just to release some more of his tension. Luckily for them, he chose to chuckle at them softly. For a moment, he was going to say something but in his current mood, it would probably degenerate into an argument and if the look he was getting from Connor was anything to go by, he would get his ass kicked in no uncertain terms.

"What's this guy's name again Sirius?"

Sirius rolled his eyes "Good lord Kevin, you brain is like a sieve everything just leaks out." Before Kevin could protest he answered "MacNair, his name is Walden MacNair."

Murphy spread out a map and the limited information they had on his home. "If this guy's mansion is on the outskirts of London, how is that it has never been noticed?"

"There are wards around it that keep muggles away; we're going to need someone to breakdown the wards not just around his mansion but around all of them." Sirius explained.

"Let's just put an ad out in the newspaper, maybe we can find someone for a reasonable rate." Murphy added sarcastically.

"No smartass, but maybe it's time we take advantage of the intelligence that Moody has been sending us."

"Do you really think we can trust him and that bastard Lupin?" Kevin snarled.

Sirius wanted to believe that his friend had finally understood why what he was doing was wrong but there was lot of mistrust there. "I don't know Kevin; I wish I could say yes but…" He just left it hanging.

"Then why would we use anything they've given us? I mean if you don't trust Lupin how could you possibly believe anything Moody has to say. You said he has always been fanatically loyal to Dumbledore." Kevin argued.

Connor and Murphy were staying quiet. Privately, they agreed with Kevin. But if they were going to do this, then chances were going to have to be taken.

"I've been thinking about that a lot. If someone like Moody had changed their mind so quickly, I would never trust them, hell I still don't trust the man. But, how did he get in touch with us? If this is a safe house for the Order of the Garter, and there are wards to prevent detection then that owl should never have been able to find me here."

"You think he knew the Order was helping us?" Connor asked, alarm bells ringing in his head.

Sirius shook his head "No, remember, they said they had a spy in the Order of the Phoenix. I think it's Alastor Moody. Think about it, how else would he be able to communicate with us? I still don't trust the man, not until we know for sure he is the spy."

"Then what exactly are you suggesting?"

"The last communication mentioned the Weasley brothers and Dumbledore's failed attempt to recruit them. The oldest son, Bill Weasley is a curse breaker for Gringott's. If it were me, I would jump at the chance for a little revenge."

"And if he isn't like you what then?"

"We do it like Kevin did with me; before we tell them a thing we will get a wizard's oath."

Reluctantly, the three brothers agreed to let Sirius approach them. "Assuming they agree then we would use Bill to take down the wards protecting the mansion?"

Sirius nodded.

"Ok for now, we will table the issue of the wards until we can get an answer from the Weasleys. Now we need to plan for what we do once we are inside." Connor said, ending the discussion of the wards for now.

They spent another hour going over plans for how they would deal with different contingencies. There was always a good possibility that multiple Death Eaters would be present and they needed plans on how to deal with them. The restaurant was a fluke; the Death Eaters weren't expecting any resistance. More importantly, they drastically underestimated the effectiveness of non-magical weaponry. Next time, they may not be so lucky.

Eventually they broke up for the night. A little while later, Sirius offered to get some food for Kevin. Kevin shook his head and was about to say something when he caught sight of Connor and Murphy. Both were wearing their heavy coats and looked like they were going out. Connor looked at him apologetically, shrugging his shoulders "We're going to bars for a while. We'll be back later."

In a softer voice, he said to Murphy "You know we're going to be punished for this tomorrow."

Murphy gave Sirius a look of sympathy. Kevin wasn't going to be happy. Before he could blow up, they were out the door. Sirius made the mistake of opening up his mouth "They just need a night out."

Kevin turned his head towards Sirius. His green eyes were blazing with anger "Fuck you Sirius!" As fast he was able to, he hobbled back to his room slamming the door closed behind him.

Sirius debated whether he should follow Kevin and then decided he didn't really want to subject his ears to that and went to relax in his own room.

**January 3rd, 1999**

**_Unknown Location, UK_**

Voldemort had been moving quietly behind the scenes recruiting more followers for some time now. During his first rise, he had depended on terror to bring converts over to his side. While it was expedient, the followers were neither trustworthy nor loyal. His attacks had also served to galvanize the Light side fools to fight him, led by the biggest fool of them all Albus Dumbledore.

The other reason for his tentative moves was the loss of Malfoy, Snape and Avery. Three of his Inner Circle were dead or missing and others were still rotting in Azkaban prison. The other 30 or so Death Eaters outside of his remaining Inner Circle were not good for much else other than shock troops. It still surprised him that Malfoy and Snape had fled, they had been by trusted members of his Inner Circle and he felt their loss.

Tonight promised to be another tedious event with another pointless meeting with his Death Eaters. Perhaps one of the search parties would have word on the whereabouts of Harry Potter. It would send a message that would rock the wizarding world if his mutilated corpse were to be left in the streets of Diagon Alley for all to see. Certainly, it would be a testament to all those who would dare stand in his way. First he had to find the blasted boy.

Voldemort was broken from his musings by the arrival Rabastan Lestrange. Though he was tempted to punish the man for interrupting his thoughts, he restrained himself. Lestrange had been one of the few that truly remained loyal to him following his defeat at the hands of Harry Potter.

Rabastan approach Voldemort and knelt down respectfully in front of him. "My lord I have distressing news for you."

"Well what it?" Voldemort snapped, his eyes flaring in annoyance.

"It is today's Daily Prophet my lord. Amelia Bones has ordered the goblins to freeze all accounts of suspected Death Eaters. Any Death Eater that is convicted or that has already been convicted will have their assets seized by the Ministry. Already I've heard rumblings from some of the newer recruits. They are worried that they will lose everything."

Voldemort laugh, a cold mirthless laugh that sent chills down Rabastan's spine. "It's nice to have a worthy opponent. Amelia Bones know how to strike at the heart of my weaker followers, straight through their purse strings. No doubt she has other changes in store now that Fudge can't deny my return any longer."

"But my lord, this could scare away sympathizers if they think their money will be taken by the Ministry. We can't just do nothing." Rabastan urged, somewhat panicked himself at the prospect of having the entire Lestrange estate seized by the Ministry, if they hadn't done so already.

Voldemort stood slowly and towered over the now cowering form of Rabastan Lestrange. "You forget yourself Rabastan. He pointed his wand at the man and cast a silent spell. Rabastan gasped as he felt overwhelming force pressing against his body, squeezing him tightly, forcing the breath from his lungs. Voldemort held the spell until Rabastan started to panic, scrabbling to breathe.

While Rabastan was gasping for breath, Voldemort mused "The loss of gold is an annoyance nothing more. But Amelia Bones represents a greater threat to me. Someone that competent in charge of the Aurors may be able to organize an effective defense. She has already shown a willingness to break from the rest of the Ministry and force them from their apathy."

Stuttering a little "My…my lord…what would you have me do?" This time Rabastan made sure that his tone remained respectful.

"We must prepare a mission to assassinate Amelia Bones before she begins to give the rabble hope of defeating me. Much like Potter, she could be a leader, a hero to the wizarding world. We must ensure that that doesn't happen."

"Do you want me to select out some men to get rid of her?"

Voldemort mused on the matter for a moment before answering. "No, we must plan this carefully. If she were to escape or survive the attack…" Voldemort wouldn't even entertain the thought of his Death Eaters being defeated by the Ministry's Aurors. "Her star would only rise higher and faster. She would become a lightning rod for the resistance against my efforts. I will place you in charge of this Rabastan."

"Thank you my lord."

"I expect you to have chosen the men for this mission before the week is out. Before I will authorize the attack, I want to see the men training for this and I will expect to see detailed plans and contingencies. Too much rides on this to have it end it failure."

Rabastan almost visibly swelled with the knowledge that Voldemort was assigning such a critical mission to him. His own star would be on the rise as Amelia Bones' came crashing back to Earth.

Red eyes narrowed shrewdly before Voldemort issued a brief warning "Do not fail me in this Rabastan. Loyal follower or not, you will not survive the punishment."

Swallowing nervously, Rabastan quickly left the room allowing Voldemort to return to his plans.

Part of him wanted Rabastan to fail. Albus had once been a stalwart enemy, thwarting his plans and often pushing him back from his position. But since his return to corporeal form, Albus and his Order had been ineffectual at best. If that blood traitor Weasley was truly at the highest levels of Albus' Order, then they were doing nothing more than searching for Potter. Now Amelia, she didn't have the magical power that Albus did but she was rapidly becoming a worthy adversary. After all what good was victory if there was no challenge?

**January 7th, 1999**

_**The Leaky Cauldron, London UK**_

Remus was sitting nervously at a small table waiting for Sirius to show up. It had been months since they had last seen each other face to face and that time hadn't ended very well. Too bad he couldn't go back in time and knock some sense into his past self. Things had been much simpler when he just focused on getting Harry…Remus stopped his own train of thought and corrected himself. Kevin that was his name now. Despite himself, Sirius' accusations had started him thinking more critically about what the Order was trying to do. Sadly, he couldn't hide from the fact that it was just wrong anymore.

"Now there's a sight I haven't seen in a while, Remus Lupin lost in thought." A deep voice said.

Remus shook his head, clearing his day "At least I know what a thought is, unlike you."

Sirius said pompously with a smile on his face "I'm a teacher; I have the most noble thoughts of all."

Remus just snorted in amusement, some things would never change. "Thanks for agreeing to meet with me Sirius; I wasn't sure if you would." Waves of apprehension were practically rolling of him as he looked up at his old friend.

"I had to see for myself if you'd really pulled you head from your ass or not." Sirius replied bluntly.

But before Sirius could sit, Remus was on his feet and he noted sadly that Sirius almost reached for his wand at the sudden movement. "I reserved a private room so we wouldn't be overheard by anyone."

Sirius glared at Remus suspiciously. "Swear that there is anyone else waiting there or I'm leaving now."

Remus quickly gave his oath, his magic flaring briefly to seal it. Satisfied for now, Sirius allowed Remus to lead him up to the second floor. Once inside, Remus closed the door and cast a number of perimeter wards to let keep their meeting private. "Thanks again for coming Sirius."

Sirius pulled a chair from the underneath the table and sat down. "You said that already, so what did you want?"

Remus asked plaintively "Will you ever forgive me?"

"I may forgive you at some point, but you have a long way to go before you earn it. I assume you asked me here for a reason other than begging for forgiveness."

At least there was hope that Sirius would be his friend again in the future, in the mean time, he had a lot to make up for. "Yes I did, this is the first time I was able to get away. There was something that happened with the Weasleys that I couldn't tell you about in a letter in case something happened to it."

"That was bad business with the Weasleys." Sirius said softly. The family had always served the light and this time, it had cost them dearly. "What happened?"

"Voldemort must have broken Arthur during his torture because he carved 'Harry Potter Lives' into Arthur's chest. I didn't even know about it right away, Dumbledore just revealed the news to us recently."

"Fuck, which means that he is probably looking for Kevin just like Dumbledore is. We were hoping to take him by surprise." That last was said too softly for anyone to hear that didn't have the heightened senses of a werewolf.

Wisely, Remus didn't say anything; he just stored the knowledge away for later. He didn't think that Sirius would ever put Kevin in any danger so what he meant would have to remain a mystery for now. "I'm sure that he is. Dumbledore is furious by the way that somehow you and Kevin have managed to elude him for so long. I would ask how you did it, but then Dumbledore might have some way of getting it out of me if he ever becomes suspicious."

"It's not my place to tell you anyway. We're safe and Kevin is should be out of his brace next week." This was followed by a mumbled 'thank god.'

"Do you…do you think he would meet with me? God Sirius he looks so much like James it was like we were kids again."

"Yeah he does but as much as it hurts to say it, that's where the resemblance ends. He may have their genes, but Kevin is a product of his upbringing. Don't get me wrong, he's a great young man and James and Lily would surely be proud of him but…" Sirius just left it hanging there. Remus would understand what he meant.

"They probably wouldn't be too happy with me though." Remus said softly.

Sirius gave him an appraising look. Remus was saying all the right things but he still didn't trust the man. It would take a little more than some news from the Order of the Phoenix before Sirius truly believed that Remus was on their side. "No I don't think they would be. It's going to take Kevin some time to cool down whenever he hears your name too."

Seeing Remus' crestfallen look Sirius asked "Can you blame him? You kidnapped him from his home and forced him to shoot Dumbledore to escape. How would that make you feel?" He wasn't going to mention Kevin hurting his knee again that would just be twisting the knife in the wound. Remus, despite everything didn't deserve that.

"No, I guess I can't. Sirius you have to keep him safe from Voldemort and Dumbledore. You know neither man sees him as anything other than an obstacle or a tool."

"I will Remus, you can count on that." Sirius stood to leave "Is there anything else you have to share?"

"No, I just needed to make sure you knew about Voldemort."

"Thanks Remus." Before he walked through the now open door, Sirius turned and said "Just keep doing what you're doing and give us time. In the end it will all work out, but right now things are too hectic to take stock."

Remus just nodded, hope flaring in his eyes.


	10. A New Game Begins

A/N: I do not own Harry Potter & Co. or The Boondock Saints.

**Chapter 10: The Game Begins**

**January 13th, 1999**

_**The Leakey Cauldron, London UK**_

Sirius was waiting in a private room alone. Bill and Charlie Weasley were due to arrive any minute now. Though he trusted the information he got from Remus and Moody, he still would have preferred it if Kevin or one of his brothers were with him, but it was safer to leave them out of this meeting until he had some assurance that the Weasleys were not working for Dumbledore.

He opened the door to the room when he heard a knock. Standing outside were two young men, both appeared to be in their late 20s. But other than red hair and blue eyes, there was very little similarity between the two. Bill was taller, more lanky while Charlie stood a few inches shorter and had a more muscular build.

"Sirius Black?" Bill asked. He had never met the man before but he did recognize him from pictures in the Daily Prophet. Of course, those were just after his release from Azkaban so he had changed greatly since then.

Sirius nodded and reached out to shake their hands. "Bill and Charlie Weasley I presume. I was very sorry to hear about your family. Your parents were good friends of mine back in the day."

Bill and Charlie just nodded their acceptance of his condolences. They had received so many and it was too emotionally exhausting to deal with them constantly. Now they just wanted to get past the pain and put their lives back together again.

Sirius ushered them into the room before locking the door and casting a couple of minor wards to let them know if someone was trying to listen in on their conversation.

Charlie broke the silence after pouring himself a glass of fire whiskey "Mr. Black why did you want to meet with us?"

"Sirius, please call me Sirius. And before I can tell you why I wanted to meet with you, I'm sorry but I have to ask for a wizard's oath that you won't divulge anything we discuss today with anyone else."

Bill and Charlie looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders. It was an unusual request but if they were just promising not to talk about their meeting then there was really no risk. Unless…"Sirius can we see your left arm?" Bill couldn't imagine being approached by a Death Eater after the attack or for that matter that Sirius would join up after everything that had happened in his life because of Voldemort but it paid to be safe.

Sirius grinned slightly at the request and rolled up his sleeve without saying a word. He even let Charlie cast a number of revealing charms to just to make sure. "Satisfied?"

"I'm sorry." Bill started only to be stopped by Sirius.

"There's nothing to apologize for. After what you have gone through and being asked to swear a wizard's oath, it's totally understandable."

Bill and Charlie then swore the wizard's oath. There was a flash of light as their magic sealed the oath.

"So what did you want to talk to us about? I assume it isn't about our parents since you wouldn't need an oath for that." Charlie asked curiously.

"I'm working with a group that needs your help fighting against Voldemort." Sirius said ambiguously.

Both men got a sour look on their face and Bill snapped "I already told Dumbledore we needed time. We're not interested in working for the Order of the Phoenix right now!"

"No, no, no I quit the Order years ago. I couldn't stomach following Dumbledore after he let me rot in prison and abandoned my godson. Fuck him anyway, he's more interested in trying to reform the murderers then he is in actually put a stop to them. Besides, the group I'm talking about is not the Order or the Ministry. We're not interested in arresting anyone. If the Voldemort and the Death Eaters want a war, we'll give him a war." Sirius finished fiercely.

Bill couldn't help but ask "What do you need us for?" Of the two brothers, he was the more cautious. In his line of work as a curse breaker you couldn't afford to rush into things. Charlie on the other hand was more of an adrenaline junky working on the dragon preserve.

"We need people that can handle themselves in tense situations and neither of you would still be in your current jobs if you couldn't do that. But more importantly, we need people that are familiar with curses and wards because we plan on attacking the Death Eaters' homes."

"So you need us to provide firepower and help take down any wards that are protecting the manors?" Bill clarified.

"Pretty much and there is the side benefit of getting revenge for your family."

Charlie pressed "You're really going to take them on, not just stun them and hand them over to the Ministry?"

"We've spent the last three weeks planning the assault on Walden MacNair's manor. Anyone there is fair game."

Charlie nodded to Bill this was their chance to do something and make a difference. "Ok, we're in but who are we working with and when are we taking down that bastard MacNair?"

"Well that more than anything is why I needed the oath. The other members of our team currently are my godson, Harry Potter and his two brothers."

"Harry Potter? Dumbledore said he disappeared. He's trying to force him to save the wizarding world from Voldemort, says he owes it to us."

Sirius asked in a cold voice "And what do you think?"

Charlie answered honestly "Why would he owe the wizarding world anything? We've done nothing for him and even if we had that doesn't mean that someone should have to put their life on the line unless they want to."

"Good answer…by the way he won't answer to Harry Potter. His name is Kevin MacManus and his brothers are Connor and Murphy. Just by way of friendly warning, they are extremely protective of each other so if you mess with one of them, you mess with them all."

Bill couldn't help it, he started to laugh. When he noticed the questioning looks from his brother from Sirius and his brother he calmed down enough to explain "Don't you get it? Dumbledore is convinced that he has to coerce Harry into saving our world. He would be horrified to know what you have planned; his savior is going to be no better than a Death Eater is his mind."

Charlie added darkly. "No your wrong. Harry will be worse than a Death Eater to Dumbledore because he is robbing the Death Eaters of their chance at redemption."

"Sirius, where has Harry been all this time and why is helping now?" Charlie added after a moment of silence.

"First of all, I'm not kidding when I say the he and his brothers will kick your asses if you call him Harry. Dumbledore tried that too and he got a bullet in the shoulder for it. To answer your question, Kevin grew up in Boston and had no clue about the wizarding world until he came over here earlier this year."

"Why didn't he go to one of the American magical schools?"

"That's really for Kevin to tell you but I will say that his magic works differently than what we are used to. He may have survived the killing curse but he didn't escape unscathed."

Bill read between the lines of Sirius' answer. They would only learn personal information on Kevin would be to get it from Kevin himself. "Did you know where he was all along?"

Sirius smiled broadly "No, I've been searching for him for years never had any real leads. Not sure if you know, but I left the wizarding world once I found out he was missing, it was just too painful to remain. So I took a position teaching history at a muggle university. Believe it or not, about two months ago, he walked into my office to get permission to take one of my classes. He had no idea who I was and it just went from there."

"That's amazing so when do we get to meet him?"

"Meet me here tomorrow morning and I will take you to meet with Kevin and his brothers. We will need to get your input on the plan too. None of us are that experienced with wards so we couldn't account for the time necessary to bring them down."

"We'll be here." Charlie said enthusiastically.

Once they had returned to Bill's flat, Charlie asked "So what do you think?"

"I think it's our chance to avenge our family. And it has the added benefit of pulling one over on Dumbledore."

**January 14th, 1999**

_**St. Paul's Cathedral, London UK**_

Sirius, Bill and Charlie had met in the morning at the Leakey Cauldron. They stayed long enough to have a light breakfast before leaving to meet with Kevin and his brothers. Charlie was surprised at their destination "We are meeting them in a muggle church?"

"Believe it or not, churches offer sanctuary to any who ask for it. It even protects them from being detected by magical means." Sirius explained. "I don't think many in the wizarding world even know about the protection and if they do, they probably disregard it since it is not wizarding magic."

Charlie and Bill could only marvel at their own attitudes. Even with their father, a self-professed muggle lover, they knew virtually nothing about the muggle world. Like Sirius said, if the situation was different they probably would have scoffed at the protection offered by the church as well. It would be something to think about when this was all over. Who knew what else the muggle world had to offer.

Sirius led them over to the elevator that would take them down to the Order's safe house. "Do you enter of your own free will?"

Bill and Charlie looked at him quizzically before nodding their heads.

"I need you to agree verbally."

Both agreed and then Sirius led them into the safe house. Marcus had explained that there were magics preventing anyone who entered willingly from disclosing the nature and location of the safe house. In order for the magics to work, the person needed to verbally agree to enter.

"What was that all about Sirius?"

"By agreeing, you won't be able to give away anything about this location. It's a safeguard."

Once inside, Sirius introduced the Weasleys to Kevin and his brothers. Luckily for the Weasleys Kevin had been given a clean bill of health by the doctor so he was no longer stuck in a knee brace anymore. As soon as it was off, he thanked the doctor grabbed his coat and left for the rest of the day. Connor was pissed when he didn't return until the morning but he couldn't miss the smile on his face or the slightly stiff way that he was walking. Everyone else was just glad to have the old Kevin back.

The six spent some time getting to know each other before getting to work. It was agreed that they would the Weasleys would stay for the time being. Time was needed to learn each other's patterns and moves so that they could work more effectively as a team.

A couple of days passed before the raid on MacNair's manor was discussed. In general, Bill and Charlie did not have any issues with the plan but they did help to refine it. Because of his area of expertise Charlie would be the one responsible for bringing down the wards. Originally Sirius had expected it to be Bill who it turned out worked more with curses than actual wards but he would be able to assist Charlie none the less.

The night before the attack, Bill finally asked a question that had been bothering him for a while. Even though the brace was gone, Kevin still needed to continue his rehab exercises to strengthen his knees. Currently, he was exercising in a large room that held a number of pieces of exercise equipment and free weights. "H…Kevin, do you mind if I ask you a question?"

Kevin grabbed his towel and wiped the sweat from his face before quirking a small smile in his direction. "You almost called me Harry didn't you?"

Bill blushed before nodding his head apologetically. "At least I caught myself. Just don't tell your brothers, I don't think my ears could take it."

Laughing softly, Kevin nodded "Yeah Murph isn't afraid to let someone know when they've screwed up. So what was your question?"

Bill took a deep breath, Kevin and his brothers could be intimidating when they wanted to be and often were without really trying to be. "I was just wondering why you and your brothers were willing to risk your lives to save a world you've never known."

Kevin was silent for a moment as he considered his answer. Bill and Charlie deserved the truth; they were going to be risking their lives by fighting by their side. Of course, it was to avenge their family but it didn't change the risk they were taking. So after some thought, Kevin began describing their life in Boston and the events that had led them to London.

"You really believe that you were given a mission by god to deal out retribution on his behalf?" Bill asked skeptically.

Kevin shrugged you had to have faith to make this kind of leap and obviously Bill's if he had any had been shaken by the death of his family. "Whether you believe it or not, it is something that my brothers and I have seen and believe in. How is it any different than believing in prophecy? Personally I find this more believable than the idea of someone dictating the future in cryptic riddles."

"I suppose." Bill conceded reluctantly. "Regardless it doesn't really change anything anyway. The Death Eaters need to be dealt with as does Voldemort."

"Do you really think that all of these people here, people who have pledged their lives to God and to doing his bidding are delusional?" Kevin pressed.

"Yes…no…I don't…" Bill didn't really know how to respond. It would be nice to think that there was some higher power out there but why would God allow such creatures as Voldemort to rise.

Kevin answered Bill's unasked question "Free will Bill, it's all about free will. Connor, Murphy and I, we had a choice. We could have refused the task that was given to us but we chose to help, to do our part. Everyone else in the Order of the Garter will tell you the same thing."

Bill was silent. "Bill we don't expect you or your brother to share our beliefs. We didn't ask you to help us in order to convert you. We asked for your help because we need your assistance nothing more. Just think about it, magic is real, prophecy is apparently real, is it really so hard to believe that my brothers and I have been asked to undertake a task that no one in the wizarding world was willing to do?"

"I don't know Kevin." Bill didn't say anything else; he just wandered out of the room, a contemplative look on his face.

**January 22nd, 1999**

**_MacNair Manor, Outskirts of London UK_**

A little after 10pm that evening, Kevin, Connor, Murphy, Sirius, Bill, and Charlie arrived just outside the perimeter of the wards surrounding MacNair's manor. Each of the wizards had used side-along apparition to bring Kevin and his brothers.

Charlie got to work immediately, his wand moving in a complicated patter as he began tracing the edge of the wards before bringing them down. The wards began to shimmer with a soft blue light. Murphy, Connor and Kevin began to place explosives along the outer edge of the wards. If all went to plan, they would herd the any Death Eaters with MacNair towards the explosives.

The explosives were wired to a trigger that Connor would control. After the explosives were placed, Connor and Kevin moved off to one side were there was a small rock outcropping. Connor moved into position, he propped a hunting rifle on top of one of the rocks and took aim at the front entrance.

Kevin knelt down and concentrated on accessing his magic. He formed an image in his mind and pushed his magic out to fill that image, to bring it to life. A swirling disk of gold light appeared above their heads. As the disk began to spin faster and faster gold light flowed away from it arcing down to connect with the earth to form a translucent gold dome. Another few seconds passed and then the dome, Connor and Kevin appeared to waver for a moment then fade from view.

Inside the dome, Kevin wiped the sweat from his brow. The dome had taken a lot out of him. Using magic was still pretty new to him and it tired him out fairly quickly.

"You ok Kev?"

"Just give me a minute. I'm beginning to see why they use wands if it helps them avoid exhausting themselves all the time."

Murphy and Sirius had moved to a copse of trees and taken up position. Sirius would cast a disillusionment charm that would hide them until the attack began. But he paused while he and Murphy watched in awe as Kevin and Connor faded from view. "Guess he's getting the hang of magic." Sirius remarked.

Murphy didn't look too happy about that. Sirius had learned enough about the brothers to get a feeling for what was bothering him. "He's never going to leave you and Connor."

"You don't know that!" Murphy whispered harshly.

"Yes I do Murphy. All you have to do is look at Kevin to know how he feels about you and Connor. He may be learning to do magic now but do you think he's going to just throw away everything that he has with you and Connor for that?"

Murphy shook his head and admitted to himself that Sirius was right. Then he smiled "I'll kick his ass if he tries."

There was nothing else said and the two men turned their attention to Bill and Charlie. Both Bill and Charlie were working together now to bring down the wards.

"If two wizards could bring down wards, then why bother with them?" Murphy asked.

"It takes a very powerful wizard to work with wards. The training is very specialized and there are few that make it through. Most of the wards on the manors today were put up years ago."

"So you're saying that if Bill and Charlie hadn't been willing to help us we would have been screwed."

"More or less."

"Won't they know what's going on inside?"

"They should, wards are typically tied to an object kept in the heart of the manor. Most likely an alarm will go off when the wards fall and they should feel the magic itself change and collapse."

"But what about the anti-portkey or anti-apparition wards you mentioned that Aurors frequently use?"

"The Aurors use stones that have been imbued with the wards. The stones usually only have enough power to operate for an hour or two so they are not useful in protecting a manor. The stones first created years ago were more powerful but the secret of their creation has been lost so the Ministry still uses the original stones which are slowly weakening."

Another 20 minutes passed before the wards flared and turned a bright solid blue. Then like a piece of glass, they shattered, the fragments evaporating into the air.

True to Sirius' prediction, the occupants of the home must have sensed the wards falling because a group of robed figures emerged from the front entrance not a minute later. The warning klaxon of an alarm could be heard when the door opened.

The lead figure saw Bill and Charlie and pointed them out. The other Death Eaters spread out and began to approach the Weasleys, spells flying from their wands. Jets of varied colored light lit up the dark countryside.

Bill and Charlie didn't even get a chance to return fire. It was everything they could do just to dodge or transfigure barriers to protect themselves.

Murphy took aim at the Death Eater nearest to him. Taking a slow breath to steady his hand, he squeezed the trigger on the rifle. The loud report from the rifle and the bright muzzle flare attracted the attention of the Death Eaters. They didn't even notice that one of their number was lying on the ground with the top portion of his skull missing.

Like Bill and Charlie, Sirius began frantically transfiguring stones into walls to block the incoming killing curses. He heard a pair of gunshots and chanced a look towards the direction of Connor and Kevin. He felt a second of jealousy when he noted that their invisibility didn't fade with the attack. Sirius was drawn back to what he was doing when Murphy pushed him down. He looked up when Murphy collapsed screaming in pain when he was hit by a dark red spell.

Another pair of gunshots echoed in the night felling another Death Eater. There were still 4 left including MacNair. Shields sprang to life deflecting the next shots from Connor and Kevin. Feeling more confident, the Death Eaters move closer. MacNair now was the only one casting offensive spells; the other three were focusing on shielding. More rounds from the rifles ricocheted off the shields.

MacNair, enraged by the attack on his home, decided to go for whole sale destruction. Blasting curses burst from his wand to spread in a wide swath across the area. Dirt, stone, fire, and smoke was everywhere but one spot. Kevin's shield though still invisible was pushing away everything making them stand out. A malicious grin split MacNair's face and he threw a pair of blasting curses at the area. Both impacted solidly with the dome. There were no explosions, but the air rippled for a moment and a wave of golden light spread out from the points of impact. The dome shimmered into view but remained solid.

Kevin and Connor paused for a second and then started opening fire with their pistols forgoing the power of the rifles for the speed the pistols offered. The bullets visibly impacted on the shields created by the Death Eaters with a loud ping but failed to penetrate.

MacNair began attacking with renewed vigor but he was only one man. So he decided to focus on the Weasleys since they were the most exposed.

Meanwhile, the MacManus brothers and Sirius began throwing everything they had at the slowly advancing Death Eaters.

MacNair changed his target when the Weasleys retreated behind Kevin's shield. He hammered it with another blasting curse. The dome rippled and collapsed when he hit it was a killing curse a few seconds later. For a second, MacNair paused; the shield had stopped the killing curse. Sensing an advantage, he and the Death Eaters surged forward to press the attack.

Connor smiled and hit the trigger to the C-4. An explosion ripped through the earth showering everyone with stone and dirt. The sound was deafening this close and even huddled behind the rocks, Kevin and Connor were thrown to the ground by the blast wave.

The shields held just long enough to protect the Death Eaters from the explosion but shattered when they were hit by the blast wave. Being closer to the blast zone, the Death Eaters were stunned for a moment by the sound and the sheer destruction before them.

Murphy and Sirius were the first to recover. Murphy snapped off two shots, catching one of the Death Eaters in the chest and head.

Sirius for the first time in close to twenty years cast the killing curse. Part of him recoiled at the need but he went ahead anyway. "_Avada Kedavra!_" and a jet of sickly green light struck the second of the Death Eaters that had been shielding. The man was hit in the leg but collapsed to the ground dead anyway.

MacNair managed to dive to the side avoiding the incoming curses from Bill and Charlie. The last Death Eater wasn't so quick on his feet. He was hit in the chest by Kevin; his wand fell from his hand. His hands flew to his chest as he sank to his knees and fell forward face down.

Connor's shot grazed MacNair's head as he was diving. It left a blood gouge along his temple. Before he could stand or move again Connor's next shot caught him in the side of the head. MacNair almost seemed surprised that a muggle weapon would kill him even as the opposite side of his skull disintegrated and blew outward. His body slumped to the side twitching for a few seconds before finally stilling.

No one moved. The only sound to be heard was the heavy breathing coming from the 6 men.

Murphy couldn't help but break the silence "Fuck, that didn't go quite as well as we planned now did it?"

Connor and Kevin were the first to laugh, accustomed to Murphy's morbid sense of humor. Wheezing a little from his laughter Connor added "It was awfully rude of the Death Eaters to fuck things up like that. Didn't they realize how much effort we put into that plan?"

Sirius and the others stared at them like they were crazy. But it was hard to ignore the banter between the brothers; it lightened the mood and distracted them at least for the moment from the fact that 8 men were dead.

Finally Kevin asked "Well should we see if Walden MacNair is among the not so dearly departed?"

Bill and Sirius grimaced at the prospect. Except for the man hit by the killing curse, the other bodies were not in good condition. Rifles could apparently do a lot of damage to the human body. Charlie was less affected from his work with dragons but still felt a little queasy.

The group spent some time examining the bodies. As it turned out, Walden MacNair was the man in the lead that had been killed by Connor. None of the wizards recognized the others so they were either new recruits or simply not very notable in the Death Eater ranks or the wizarding world in general. With the help of Sirius and some sticking charms, they placed coins on the eyes of each Death Eater before they began apparating the bodies to be found in Diagon Alley. Because it was late, there was virtually no one there, and the four trips that were required for Sirius and Charlie to bring all the bodies went off without a hitch.

In the mean time, Bill and the brothers checked the manor to make sure that there was no one left inside. A few quick spells at various points in the house and soon it was a roaring inferno. The six men watched it burn for a few minutes before returning to the safe house at St. Paul's for a few well earned beers.

_**DMLE, Ministry of Magic, London UK**_

Amelia was working late again. It seemed that all she did lately was sit in the office coordinating the defense against Voldemort and his Death Eaters. At times she wanted to wash her hands of the entire situation and move her family to the US or anywhere else far away. It wasn't that she was a coward or weak, but it seemed like she spent half her time fighting the corruption in the Ministry to get anything accomplished.

Her blood pressure rose in anticipation when the door to her office opened and a perfect example of Ministry ineptitude strode in. Annoyance caused her eyes to narrow, she was the man's superior he should not have barged into her office. "Auror Dawlish I assume you have a good reason for barging into my office." Her voice was cool but there was an undertone that left little doubt in Dawlish' mind that she wouldn't hesitate to tear into him if need be.

Dawlish's normally ruddy features paled slightly when he realized what he had done. "I'm sorry Ma'am. But we just got word that the bodies of 8 pure bloods were left in Diagon Alley."

Pure bloods? Were they Death Eaters or their victims? It wasn't normal for the Death Eaters to leave their victims to be found without the dark mark. "What was their condition? And how do you know they were pure bloods and for that matter what does it matter?"

Dawlish held back his reply. Of course it mattered if they were pure bloods. Pure bloods were the crème of wizarding society and it galled him to think that someone had disposed of them like trash to be found by any passer-bys. Despite evidence to the contrary, he was not an idiot, Amelia Bones made no effort to hide her disgust at the current status placed on blood in their world. "They're all dead. The bodies are being examined but whatever was used looked like some form of concentrated _Reducto_. There were bloody holes in some of the chests and a few were missing large portions of their skulls."

"Do we have any idea who did it?"

"No, we could only detect spell residue on one body, ironically it was the one with the least amount of physical damage."

"You said they were pure bloods, what were their names?" It was wrong, but she hoped they were Death Eaters. From all accounts, he had not been as successful this time around in recruiting pure bloods to his cause but she knew that there were many sympathizers out there. Perhaps this would send a message.

Dawlish rattled off the names of 7 minor pure blood families. Amelia had to fight her sigh of relief because each was a known supporter of Voldemort. It was the last name that caught her attention. "Walden MacNair?"

"Yes ma'am. This is a blatant attack on the Ministry and on pure bloods. He was a respected member of his department and an upstanding member of our world." Dawlish asserted.

Amelia began to realize that she may need to pay more attention to her own backyard than she realized. She had become accustomed to working with the likes of Kinsgley Shacklebolt and Alastor Moody so it was something of a wakeup call to see the blatant prejudice in her own department. "Did you think to check their arms? Were any of them marked?"

Dawlish had the grace to look embarrassed. "Ummm, we didn't check." He mumbled.

"My god man, the body of Walden MacNair, a known Death Eater was found in Diagon Alley and you don't think to see if the others are marked?" She asked incredulously.

Dawlish replied hotly "That was never proven, he was under the Imperious curse."

Amelia rolled her eyes and once again picked up her reports that she was finishing up. "Dawlish, go check their arms for the dark mark and report back to me."

Dawlish recognizing the dismissal turned on his heel and left Amelia's office.

Another note was scratched on the report in front of her absently while she replayed the meeting with Dawlish. It was time to clean house. Men and women like Dawlish had no place in serving the DMLE. It wasn't their beliefs, it was the way they let them affect their performance on the job.

An amused chuckle could be heard from her office after she had received a note from Dawlish informing her that the men did indeed have the dark mark branded on their arms. She even noted that the paper was torn in a few spots showing Dawlish's feelings on the matter.

Quickly, she penned a note to her contact at Gringott's. It seems that the DMLE had just received another supplement to their funding for the year. Most of the Death Eaters that had been found this evening did not have any significant wealth but Walden MacNair came from a very old family and it would be quite a blow to have the Ministry confiscate those funds.

Close to an hour later, the remaining reports were put away for the night, Amelia prepared to leave. Her departure was delayed by the abrupt arrival of Cornelius Fudge. Sighing and pinching the bridge of her nose, Amelia sank back into her chair. "Cornelius, it's been a long day what do you need?"

Cornelius was dressed in an absurdly bright green suit with his trademark bowler hat clutched in his hands. "Amelia what is this I hear about a massacre of pure bloods in Diagon Alley?"

Amelia wanted to groan. Obviously Dawlish or some other like-minded individual from her department had informed Cornelius of the bodies. She deliberately remained silent while conjuring herself a cup of tea. "What does it matter if they were pure bloods? Don't you represent all the wizards and witches of England?"

Bristling at the rebuke Cornelius pressed on. His arms flailing energetically as he said "This can't stand. To think that pure bloods could be harmed and left on the street like some common …" He trailed off as he tried to think of a comparison.

"Mudblood?" Amelia supplied helpfully.

Cornelius unmindful of the tone of Amelia's voice jumped on the word "Yes, like nothing more than a mudblood. It's disgraceful and I want to know what you intend to do about it."

"I intend to thank whoever was responsible and have already ordered that the deceaseds' Gringott's vaults be seized." She replied sweetly after taking a sip of her tea. Her expression was bland, betraying none of the humor she saw in the situation.

Cornelius' hands clenched tightly around his hat and his face took on a deep red color. "What?! I'll have you booted out of office for this." He declared hotly.

Openly amused now "Cornelius who in their right mind would try and remove me because of 8 dead Death Eaters, pure blood or not?"

Cornelius puffed his chest up in victory. "I know those men were found dead in Diagon Alley. How could you possibly know they were Death Eaters?"

"It's simple really; they all bore the dark mark on the left arm. In the absence of any mitigating evidence I have declared them Death Eaters and their estates are being confiscated as we speak."

"But they must have been under the Imperious curse." Cornelius argued weakly.

She had finally had enough. Cornelius may be something of a racist but for him it was all about the money, everyone knew it just no one could prove it. "It's amazing how many pure bloods are under the Imperious curse. It doesn't speak much to their strength of will now does it? Oh and Cornelius, I hope for your sake none of those men made donations to your campaigns because if they did it will just be another nail in your coffin."

Trying to save face, Cornelius said apologetically "Clearly I was given inaccurate information. My apologies Amelia."

"I'm sure you were, now if you don't mind, it's been a long day."


	11. Countermoves

A/N: I do not own Harry Potter & Co. or The Boondock Saints.

**Chapter 11: Countermoves**

**January 23rd, 1999**

_**Purebloods Targeted in Vicious Attack**_

_**By**_

_**Mortimer Rhea**_

_Last night, 8 purebloods were the victims of a vicious attack. On a routine patrol of Diagon Alley, Aurors with the DMLE came across the remains of 8 wizards who were later identified as purebloods coming from ancient and noble families. The attacker or more likely attackers viciously maimed the poor wizards leaving gaping wounds that left the bodies disfigured making the normal burial practices out of the question._

_One of the victims was a Ministry employee, Walden MacNair. Having served honorably for many years after suffering through the embarrassment of being an accused Death Eater, MacNair's remaining family now finds itself penniless, a victim of the draconian measures put into place by Madame Amelia Bones, Head of the DMLE._

_Under new resolutions passed quietly through the Wizengamot, Madame Bones now has the authority to seize the assets of any wizard or witch proven to be a Death Eater. We have it on good authority that though the victims of last night's attack were branded with the dark mark they were certainly not Death Eaters. Any activity in support of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was most assuredly done while operating under the Imperious curse. Yet despite the fact that these men were hapless victims, their families are made to suffer the indignity of being accused Death Eaters and losing their wealth._

_It is outrageous that hate crimes such as this one most likely perpetrated by a half-blood or muggleborn in retaliation for the recent Death Eater activity is allowed to go unchecked. Purebloods represent the cream of our society and it is a sad statement that they can be attacked so ruthlessly yet the culprit will most likely escape prosecution. The DMLE claims to have no leads but we seriously question the level of effort that is being put forth to find the murderers._

_How much longer will it be before the once proud families are swept away by the river of filth and trash that flows in every year from the muggle world? The Ministry must take a stand to protect our world from falling further into the cesspool of muggle ideas and beliefs. If the current administration is not up to the task then others must be found who have the strength and determination to return the wizarding world to its position of greatness._

_**Unknown Location, UK**_

Voldemort was sitting at a small table eating a leisurely breakfast. The sun was shining in through an open window and he found himself enjoying the calm and quiet of the morning. Spread out on the table before him were the latest laws and resolutions that were going to be presented to the Wizengamot for deliberation.

He laughed softly around the piece of toast he was eating when he thought about the blatant stupidity of those in power. Some of these measures had not even been put forth by his supporters but the effect they would have on the wizarding world if passed would certainly help his cause. There were resolutions to further restrict the movement of werewolves and other dark creatures, most of who were on the fence about joining his cause. If any of these should pass, the wizarding world would leave the dark creatures little choice but to join him or live a life of virtual slavery.

The Daily Prophet was also lying on the table but was still rolled up. It was a tool of propaganda nothing else and he usually spared little time to read it. The quiet of his breakfast was broken by the arrival of Rabastan Lestrange.

For a moment, Rabastan was surprised by the incongruous image before of him. The most feared dark lord in the last few centuries was currently sitting in an almost cheery kitchen with a light breakfast looking like nothing more than the average wizard before they head off to work. "My lord, I apologize for interrupting your breakfast." He said quickly.

Voldemort waved off the apology and just gave the man a stern look.

Rabastan quickly hurried on, not wanting to be punished. He had noticed that the Daily Prophet was still unread so he untied the string and placed the paper in front of Voldemort. After stepping back quickly, he summarized the article "My lord, someone has killed Walden MacNair and the group of Death Eaters that had been at his manor last evening. Whoever did it left their bodies in Diagon Alley for the Aurors to find."

Voldemort had to visibly restrain himself from lashing out at Rabastan. The man had nothing to do with MacNair's death and it would serve no purpose to punish him. So he quickly scanned the article, part of him was pleased by the tone of the article all but voicing support for his cause. The loss of Walden MacNair and the other Death Eaters would certainly hurt his efforts though. To make matters worse, their deaths allowed Bones to seize their vaults and further strengthen her financial position and backing of the Aurors.

After setting the paper down on the table in a deceptively calm manner, Voldemort stood and ordered Rabastan to follow him. Voldemort stalked through the manor, waves of magic rolling off him as he restrained his anger. The pair walked down a flight of stairs into the dimly lit dungeons where prisoners were kept and tortured.

It took a moment for Rabastan's eyes to adjust to the dim light. While the man stood at the base of the stairs, Voldemort moved to one of the cages and removed a young muggle girl that was being held captive. A quick wand movement sent the girl slamming into the wall where manacles moved to attach themselves to her wrists and ankles. Her cry of pain was the only sound in the dungeons; the other prisoners were too terrified to cry out in protest.

Rabastan watched impassively while his lord proceeded to torture the hapless girl. Cutting curses and flame spells flayed open her skin only to cauterize it preventing her from slipping into death as a result of blood loss. Once his anger had abated somewhat, Voldemort turned his attention back to Rabastan. "What have you learned of Amelia Bones? While I can admire a worthy opponent, it is time to remove this one from the playing field." He asked even as he casually cast another cutting curse, slicing open the girl's throat down to the bone.

Rabastan jumped back quickly avoiding the spray of blood while absently noting that Voldemort's robes were thoroughly splashed with blood. The sight of blood had never really bothered him, but he hated getting it on his clothes. "She works late virtually every night. Oftentimes she doesn't return home till close to midnight. As the head of the DMLE she has a permanent escort of 4 Aurors. There seems to be a rotation but the escort is always composed of senior Aurors."

Voldemort turned his full attention back to Rabastan now that the girl was dead and his anger had abated. "What of her home?"

Rabastan shook his head "She lives in an average size home in the heart of London. Despite the size, there is only one other permanent resident, her niece Susan Bones. Susan graduated from Hogwarts earlier this year and is studying to be a healer. The wards are weak nothing that can stop us."

Voldemort waved his wand over his robes vanishing the blood from them and led them out of the dungeons once again. This time they ended up in his library. Voldemort sat down and conjured a cup of tea for himself. He left Rabastan standing for a moment before asking "What is your plan?"

Rabastan squared his shoulders and described his plan. "I would like you to authorize a number of attacks on the same night to alternate locations. This will help draw the Aurors away from the Ministry and will delay any response once we begin the assault on her home."

Voldemort swirled the tea in his cup for a moment as he considered the opening moves of the plan. It was certainly workable and would most likely have the desired effect. The biggest unknown was how Dumbledore and the Order of the Phoenix would respond. "It is a serviceable plan. I will lead one of the assaults myself in the hopes of drawing out Dumbledore and the Order. We don't want him spoiling our little surprise for Amelia."

Quickly nodding his head in gratitude, Rabastan knew that he and the other Death Eaters were no match for Dumbledore. Voldemort was the only one who could kill the meddlesome bastard. "Once the attacks are underway, I will lead my team of Death Eaters into her home and eliminate the Auror guards and Amelia herself. I have already prepared the ward stones to put up anti-apparition and anti-portkey wards. They should last more than long enough for us to get and out."

"Well done Rabastan. I want you to have your men ready to strike tomorrow night. We will launch the strikes as soon as Amelia arrives home for the evening. Now gather Bella, Yaxley, and Rosier. I want to go over the plans for the other attacks with them personally."

"Yes my lord." Rabastan bowed and quickly exited back to the apparition point.

_**Headmaster's Office, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry, UK**_

Albus was holding yet another meeting with his Order of the Phoenix. Until yesterday, he had been growing increasingly despondent when Harry Potter continued to elude his best people. That had all changed yesterday though; one of the many devices in his office was now set to track Harry. Unfortunately, he had not been in his office when the device started flashing but he had enough time to get the general location of Harry.

"I know many of you have spent hours searching for our missing savior and I thank you for all the effort you've put in." Albus began. Many of the Order members present preened soaking up his praise like manna from heaven. Two members remained impassive, letting Albus' words pass over them recognizing the bullshit sentiment that was surely behind them.

Moody was always the one most likely to stand up to Albus. Tonight was no different "Albus, you didn't call us here to blow sunshine up our asses. What do you have for us?" Some of the newer members gasped that Moody could be so rude to Albus Dumbledore.

Albus however was accustomed to Alastor Moody's behavior and chuckled at the man's question "You're right of course Alastor. Last night the locator spell I setup to find Harry Potter went off. Unfortunately I didn't have enough time to get an exact location but I was able to narrow his location to northern London." A quick wave of his wand, a flash of light and suddenly there was a small pile of maps showing the region of London where Harry had been detected.

Moody snatched one of the maps up and studied the highlighted area. He was pleased to note that the area was nowhere near St. Paul's so the safe house was still protected. "Albus you can't be serious. Certainly this narrows down the search radius but it is still a lot of ground to try and cover with a small group of people."

"I realize that Alastor but now that Harry has emerged from hiding, I'm confident that he will do so again. It is only a matter of time. I have placed an alarm on the device so I will know immediately the next time he emerges from wherever he is hiding."

Sturgis Podmore changed the topic to Voldemort. "Albus what do you make of this attack on MacNair and the other Death Eaters?"

Remus looked at Sturgis for a moment; the man was an ardent supporter of Dumbledore and always had been. It was times like these that Remus wondered why the Order even existed because they never did anything to actually stop the Death Eaters. He couldn't stop himself before he said "They got exactly what they deserved."

Albus gave Remus a reproving look. "Remus, murder is never the answer. Despite their crimes, these men deserved the chance to atone for their actions."

"Do you think it is another dark lord?" Podmore asked nervously.

"I fear it may be and anyone that is willing to go against Voldemort will surely represent a grave threat to the wizarding world."

"Is it possible that Harry Potter was involved, he was in the same area of London? The boy being dark would certainly explain his actions in your office."

Nymphadora Tonks, a young Auror, added her opinion "According to the reports I've read, they Death Eaters were killed with muggle weapons. There was only a single Death Eater that had any spell residue on them. It certainly appears to be similar to the type of wound you received from Potter."

Moody shook his head slightly. He had had hopes that Tonks could be persuaded to join their cause but now he would not take the risk of approaching her.

Albus appeared to ponder the situation before answering. "I don't think that Harry's family is a positive influence on him but I don't think he would join forces with another dark lord. No, for now we should continue to focus our attentions on Voldemort and finding Harry Potter so that he can be trained to do his duty for the wizarding world."

_**DMLE, Ministry of Magic, London UK**_

Amelia was getting ready to leave for the day. Again, the time was late, nearing midnight. She sighed in frustration when someone knocked on her door. Tiredly she sat back down in her chair after she called for whoever it was to enter.

A flicker of surprise flashed on her face when she saw that her late night visitor was Kingsley Shacklebolt. "Ma'am, I apologize for stopping by so late."

"Sadly, I'm growing used to it." She admitted lightly.

"Ma'am, I just came from and Order of the Phoenix meeting. For the most part it was the same dog and pony show but there was one piece of information that I thought you should be made aware of."

"What is that?"

"I'm not sure how he did it, but somehow Dumbledore has come up with a way to track Harry Potter. He got a reading on him last evening in northern London."

Amelia started to ask something before stopping herself. She took a second to compose her thoughts. It could be disastrous if Dumbledore managed to turn Harry Potter against the wizarding world with his heavy handed dealings with the boy. Unlike Dumbledore she wasn't counting on Potter to save them but anyone who could defeat Voldemort even temporarily would be a dangerous person to have against them. "If that's true, then I'm surprised that he doesn't have the whole Order out searching for him."

"Wherever Harry Potter is hiding, it protects him from Dumbledore's locator spells. He has already dropped off the map again and the region that was marked on the map was far too large to search. If we get word that he's shown up again, I will send you a message immediately." Kingsley promised.

"Thank you Kingsley. While I don't agree with Dumbledore's position on the young man, I do believe he could make a powerful enemy if he is sufficiently angered."

Kingsley just nodded his head in acknowledgement before addressing another matter. Reaching into his robes he pulled out the latest edition of the Quibbler. Silently he handed it to Amelia to read the cover story.

_**The Saints Come Marching In**_

_**By**_

_**Harris Thunderson**_

_On January 22nd, the Saints came marching into the wizarding world. Their coming was heralded by the death of 8 Death Eaters, scum that have been terrorizing the wizarding world for years. _

_For those that don't know, the Saints are a trio of muggle vigilantes that first appeared in Boston early last year. During their stay, the criminal leadership of Boston was killed ruthlessly. Each time the bodies were left with coins over their eyes to pay for their journey to the afterlife. Then, late last year, the Saints left Boston for London. They followed a similar pattern, eliminating many of the known leaders of the mafia operating in and around London._

_Now, it appears that the Saints have turned their eyes towards the wizarding world. The types of wounds and the coins over the eyes of the deceased Death Eaters leaves little doubt in this reporter's mind that this is indeed the work of the Saints of South Boston._

_Now before you readers begin to fear for your safety. Keep in mind that the Saints warned the citizens of London that it was only the evil that would be targets for their brand of punishment. All others would be safe but the witnesses were urged to take a more active role in ensuring their own safety rather than sitting back and waiting for others to save them._

_What does this mean for the wizarding world is the question we must ask? Long has our government and leadership been corrupt. What other reason would there be for the continued presence of known Death Eaters in our society. Will the Saints of South Boston limit their acts to Death Eaters or will they strike down those in power that have so wronged our society? Only time will tell._

After reading the article, Amelia turned her attention back to Kingsley "I see Lovegood hasn't lost his edge. It is refreshing to see someone willing to tell the truth about the wizarding world. Harris is right; it will be interesting to see what affect the Saints have on this struggle." An idea was rapidly forming in her head. The Saints could be very effective but she would hate to see them prosecuted for the good they could do for the wizarding world.

"You sound like you approve of them." Kingsley stated in a shocked tone.

Amelia smiled a little "Of course I don't approve of anyone killing Death Eaters."

Kingsley could swear he saw her wink at that.

"All the same Kingsley, there will be some backlash from the idea of muggles killing purebloods. I want you to make contact with them."

"Don't you mean arrest them?"

"No, I said what I meant. Make contact with them; let them know that I'm not seeking their arrest. I would like to meet with them personally."

**January 24th, 1999**

_**Bones Manor, London UK**_

Susan looked up from where she was reviewing her coursework when she heard the door close. She had never imagined that becoming a healer would require so much work but at the same time, it was the most interesting work she had ever been part of. "Aunt Amelia, is that you?" She called out.

A moment later, her aunt walked into the dining room where she was studying. "What are you doing up so late?" Amelia asked after giving her a kiss on the forehead. "I thought I was the only night hour in this family."

Proving the truth of Amelia's words, Susan yawned. "I have a test tomorrow and I need to do well if I want to get the apprenticeship." Susan explained.

"I'm sure you'll do fine Susan but if you fall asleep during the test I don't think you make a good impression." Amelia replied with an amused tone.

"What about you, you don't look much better than I do and you've been doing this for weeks now?"

Before Amelia could respond about it being her job and someone needed to protect the wizarding world from the dangers out there in the dark, the front door of their home exploded. The two Aurors stationed inside the manor were blown into the walls and stunned by the strength of the blast.

A deep voice called out "Amelia, can you come out and play with us?" A wave of evil laughter followed.

Amelia grabbed Susan's hand and tried to apparate only to find it was impossible. The Death Eaters, for that is surely who they were must have put up temporary wards to prevent their escape. "Susan get upstairs and hide!"

Susan would do no such thing though. The Death Eaters were unlikely to leave her alone after killing her aunt. Plus, she refused to leave her family for the Death Eaters to kill like they had done with her parents. "No, hiding won't…" Susan was cut off as another explosion tore apart the main wall separating the dining room from the hall.

Amelia yanked Susan to the floor praying the girl had her wand on her.

Susan awkwardly pointed her wand towards the gaping hole where the wall once stood. A dull blue light shot from her wand striking a Death Eater in the leg.

The man screamed as both bones in his lower leg shattered.

"Kill Bones, but I want to have some fun with the niece." A voice could be heard followed by coarse laughter.

Susan and Amelia did their best to keep the Death Eaters from entering the dining room. Amelia even resorted to throwing the killing curse.

Rabastan didn't want to end the fun too quickly so he and his men were avoiding the killing curse. In its place a stream of low powered explosive curses flew into the room.

The dining table burst into splinters. Chunks fell from the ceiling and great gaping holes appeared in the floors and walls.

"_Avada Kedavra!"_ Amelia called out again, this time striking one of the attackers. "Quickly Susan we need to get downstairs!"

Getting no response, she turned her head away for a second and saw Susan lying on the floor covered by debris and chunks of ceiling beams. "Oh Susan." She said sadly before throwing her own explosive hex to cover her retreat.

Even as she reached the basement, she could hear footsteps on the stairs. "Amelia, why you are making this so difficult?"

Amelia responded by moving deeper into the basement. In her haste, she stumbled over an old crate.

Another swarm of explosive curses flew in her direction. Multiple blasts echoed off the stone walls and destabilized the floor. A large section of the floor crumbled under Amelia's body. She fell 15 feet down landing roughly, her left leg bent at an impossible angle.

Moaning in pain, she dragged herself into the shadows. She looked around, she was in some kind of tunnel but there was a rusted steel door about 15 feet from her position. A numbing charm helped to deaden the pain of her leg so that she could hobble but that was about it.

Soft voices drifted down the tunnel.

"Do you see her?"

"No she must have fallen through that hole in the floor."

"Check it out, we can't take any chances."

Amelia heard scrambling sounds, most likely indicating that her attackers were climbing down after her. She had reached the door but it wouldn't open. Desperately, she tried _Alohamora_. With a heavy clink, the door unlocked and she was able to swing it open.

She winced at the loud squeal the metal made against the frame. Her fears were confirmed when she heard "This way, she's still alive."

Half way down the corridor, she heard the door open again. Panic shot through her pushing her to move faster. Near the end of the hallway she could see another door. The dark hallway lit up as spells flew in her direction.

Then she felt it. The oppressive weight of wards that she had long grown accustomed to fell away. It took her a second to realize what that meant. As soon as she did, Amelia disappeared with a loud crack, apparating to the emergency ward in the Ministry.

**_Emergency Medical Ward, Ministry of Magic, London UK_**

Amelia appeared in the emergency medical ward in the DMLE. As soon as she appeared, she collapsed.

"Madame Bones!" The healer currently on call yelled out. He rushed over and began examining her. "Get Kingsley Shacklebolt in here now!" He called out to an assistant.

The healer waved his wand over Amelia's prone form casting a number of diagnostic spells. Other than her leg which had a compound fracture of the femur she was fine. After levitating her over to an available bed, he immobilized her leg before casting _Enervate_.

With a soft groan, Amelia awoke. The healer started speaking to let Amelia know that she was safe. "Madame Bones, you're safe. You're in the emergency ward and you'll be pleased to know that other than the fractures to your leg, you have no other serious injuries."

Amelia was struggling to contain her tears. It wasn't right that she should be relatively unharmed while Susan was dead. She needed to get back to her home. Her niece's body would not be left for those bastards to defile. She was getting ready to issue an order to gather a team when Kingsley Shacklebolt entered.

"Madame Bones are you ok?" Kingsley asked rushing over to her side.

The healer quickly gave both of him her diagnosis. A potion was in his hand and was about to hand it to Amelia when she held up her hand.

"I can't take that yet. Kingsley, we need to take a team to my home. I was attacked by Death Eaters…" She paused for a moment, fighting to hold back tears. "Susan was killed. I can't leave her body there with those animals."

"Amelia, I'm so sorry." Kingsley said simply. "You can't come with us though. With your leg if there are any Death Eaters still there you would be an easy target."

"This is my home; I won't let anyone go there without me!" She practically screamed, her control crumbling.

"Madame Bones there were three other attacks tonight, one led personally by Voldemort. We can't afford to lose you now after the events of this evening."

"Three other attacks?" She asked softly.

"Yes and I will give you a full report once I return from your manor." Kingsley replied. Before Amelia could press further, he left to gather a team.

The healer handed her the potion again and this time she drank the foul concoction. Amelia knew she was in for a long night, not just as her leg heals but also waiting for the report coming from Kingsley. Nothing left for her to do but wait; she closed her eyes and tried to forget about the events of the night, if only for a little while.

A few hours later, she was shaken awake by Kingsley. A little taken aback by the huge smile on his face, she snapped at him "What are you smiling about?"

If anything his grin got even larger "I apologize ma'am, I just thought you'd want to know that you aren't the last Bones after all."

"What do you…?" She stopped abruptly and looked at him sharply. "Are you saying…?"

"Yes, she wouldn't have survived much longer but Susan is alive and being treated in St. Mungo's."

The control that Amelia had been struggling with all night finally broke. Crying softly for a few minutes, Amelia felt her sadness drain away to be replaced by overwhelming relief and happiness.

Kingsley looked on silently, feeling more than a bit uncomfortable seeing a woman normally so strong breakdown. While Amelia was regaining control of her emotions once again, Kingsley retrieved a chair for him to sit down. When he returned, Amelia was composed and once again all business.

"How badly was she hurt? Did the Death Eaters do anything to her?" Amelia asked.

Kingsley had no need to ask what she meant. Rape was all too common for the Death Eaters. So it was that he was able to shake his head and relieve a bit more of Amelia's worry. "No, I don't think they realized she was alive. She had a number of broken bones and was barely breathing. The debris that was covering her must have hidden her shallow breathing because she was left alone."

"I can't believe I left her there like that, but I thought she was dead. She was so still and pale." Amelia whispered softly, reliving those moments of the attack.

"Did you know your home was built on the old network of bomb shelters?" Kingsley asked breaking Amelia from her reverie.

Confusion was plain on her face so Kingsley explained. "We found the hole in your basement. The tunnel that you fell into is actually part of the old network of bomb shelters that had been built in the part of London during World War II. In fact, it's lucky it was there, I doubt you would have survived otherwise."

Her voice had a bit of wonder in it when she replied "I never even knew. We move from the outskirts of London following the war. I doubt anyone in my family was even aware that they existed."

Both fell silent, thinking about the vagaries of fate that had saved Amelia's life. "Were there any indications of who my attacker's were?" She asked abruptly.

"There were three dead Death Eaters and I'm sorry to say but your guard detail is dead as well."

"Do we know who they were?" In her mind at the same time, she was composing the notes she would be sending to the families of the men who had died protecting her family. She had worked with them for many years and had long ago become friends with their families. This was just another reason why the Death Eaters had to be stopped; they had destroyed too many lives and families to allow their actions to continue unhindered.

"We are waiting on identification, but they were all marked."

"As soon as you have identification, send word to Gringott's, I want those vaults seized." Again she switched topics when she remembered something that Kingsley had mentioned before leaving to check out her home. "What news do you have of the other attacks?"

"The good news is that we didn't losing any Aurors, but there were 32 people killed in the three attacks. The attacks themselves were unusual, they were in well populated areas and there was no effort made to hide the attack."

"While the attack on my home followed their normal MO…" Amelia mused "They could have been decoys to draw resources away from their real target, which I assume was me. But if that was the case, why did Voldemort not show up personally? Why let one of his Death Eaters lead the attack?"

"I may have the answer to that one ma'am. Dumbledore and the Order of the Phoenix were fighting it out with Voldemort and the animals with him. No offence ma'am, but Dumbledore is really the only one who can fight Voldemort one-on-one, he might have done it to draw the Order of the Phoenix away so they couldn't help you."

Amelia leaned back on the bed, letting her head rest on the pillow for moment while she considered Kingsley's analysis of the situation. There was a good chance he was right, but they would never know for sure. In the end, it didn't really matter either way.

"Were any of the Death Eaters captured from the other raids?"

They continued to review the raids and the status of the Aurors for another hour before Kingsley took his leave, allowing Amelia to rest. Tomorrow would be another long day, one which Amelia no doubt would be conducting from her niece's room in St. Mungo's.

Rubbing his bleary eyes, Kingsley returned home for some much needed sleep before taking up the search for the Saints.


	12. Another One Bites the Dust

A/N: I do not own Harry Potter & Co. or The Boondock Saints.

**Chapter 12: Another One Bites the Dust**

**January 24th, 1999**

_**Unknown Location, UK**_

Rabastan was debating whether he should run. When the Dark Lord learned that he had failed in his mission to kill Amelia Bones, there was going to be hell to pay. Unfortunately, he would never escape the reach of Voldemort if he ran. Rabastan had no idea how Snape and Malfoy had done it but since he didn't he could only hope that Voldemort wouldn't kill him.

So it was with a great amount of trepidation that Rabastan approached Voldemort to give his report. The other attacks had gone off with minimal problems. Only Voldemort's force had faced any serious resistance and that was due to the arrival of the Order of the Phoenix.

"Rabastan how did the attack on Amelia Bones go? Is she dead?" Voldemort asked somewhat cheerfully. The only time Voldemort was ever close to being happy was following the murder of a prisoner or a successful raid like the previous evening.

His face paled and he broke out into a light sweat. "My lord, I'm sorry but she escaped." It was safer to just give brief explanations, any excuses would be punished harshly.

Voldemort shot to his feet, his eyes blazed in anger. "How did you fail?!" The anger was almost palpable. His hand was clenching his wand so tightly that his fingers had paled even further and were shaking with his suppressed fury.

Rabastan quickly knelt down and kept his head bowed. In his most subservient tone, Rabastan explained the attack, the death of the Aurors and Susan Bones death before Amelia's escape.

"_Crucio_!" Voldemort roared. He watched in pleasure as Rabastan screamed and writhed on the floor. A full five minutes passed before Rabastan passed out and Voldemort released the spell. "Have him taken to a cell, I will deal with him later."

Two Death Eaters moved forward and picked up Rabastan and dragged him away.

"Ideas, I want ideas for the next attack. We can't let Amelia have enough time to turn this disaster to her advantage. She could use this attack as a way to rally Ministry forces to her side."

After several minutes of silence it was becoming increasingly obvious that Voldemort was getting enraged that no one was stepping forward with an idea.

A faceless Death Eater stepped forward finally. The look on Voldemort's face told him that he might escape punishment for suggesting anything rather than staying silent. "My lord, we could attack the Ministry. A number of Aurors were killed or wounded last night. Surely they would never expect another attack so soon. More importantly, if we succeed the enemy will be crippled."

Voldemort dismissed the idea almost immediately. While it was true that the Auror force had been weakened, there were still a significant number that were ready for battle. His forces would be trapped between trying to bring down the wards and holding off the Aurors. They would be crushed. It was almost a foregone conclusion that at some point the Order of the Phoenix would arrive as well. If Dumbledore was with them, then any advantage they held would be severely compromised. No, an attack on the Ministry was out of the question at this point in time.

Another stepped forward, feeling more bold now that they had seen that the first person had not been punished. This time, despite the mask and heavy black robe, the Death Eater was obviously a woman as soon as she began to speak. "My lord, we could attack St. Mungo's. It would give us an opportunity to eliminate any of the wounded Aurors further weakening the Ministry. Since the wards are weaker, we can be in and out much quicker than we could with the Ministry."

It was an interesting idea. She was right in that the wards of the hospital were weaker than those at the Ministry but there would still be time spent taking down the wards during which they would be open to attack by both the Ministry and the Order. On the plus side though, there would be a message sent to the wizarding world. The wizarding world would know that no place was safe from his reach. It was a possibility but the response from the Ministry afterwards would be extreme. There was always the chance that it could incite the people to rise against his forces en masse.

Again more time passed before yet another Death Eater stepped forward. "We could target additional members of the Order of the Phoenix my lord. Like with those blood traitors the Weasleys it would weaken Dumbledore's forces and potentially deter future recruitment on his part."

Voldemort smiled fiercely. The Order of the Phoenix was the biggest thorn in his side after Amelia Bones. There was certainly no chance that they could target Dumbledore but perhaps a handful of high profile targets could be just as effective. If some were captured for information then so much the better, perhaps the Order had found additional information regarding the location of Harry Potter. Even the Auror response should be minimal until after everything was all over, the Order was a vigilante organization and would not generate the same sense of urgency.

"Get me a list of the known members of the Order. I will plan the assaults personally. With Dumbledore weakened, the Ministry will be the only force standing against us." Voldemort declared grandly.

Another minor Death Eater, emboldened by the lack of punishments given out during the meeting foolishly stepped forward. "But what about the forces that attacked MacNair my lord? What will we do about them?"

Suddenly then man flew head first into the wall with a sickening crunch. His body fell lifelessly to the floor. The Death Eaters just stared in fear at their lord. Voldemort enjoyed the palpable fear that pervaded the room. The fool was right though, out there was another force that was attacking his forces and unlike the Order of the Phoenix they seemed to have no qualms about killing. While the Ministry had become a more able opponent, money still spoke at the right levels but that didn't do any good if his men were dead before they ever reached the Ministry. Once he had weakened the old fool, he would look into this other group and punish them accordingly but until that time they were a minor annoyance.

"Go, I will call you when I have need of you." Most of the Death Eaters immediately began rushing towards the apparition point to escape any more of the Dark Lord's wrath. "Handerson stay!"

A robed figure turned from the main group and returned to stand in front of Voldemort. His knees bent and he bowed his head "My lord what would you have me do?" Handerson asked, a light quiver could be heard in his voice.

Voldemort let the man worry for a moment before answering. "I was pleased with your suggestion regarding the Order. You will compile a list of Order members and their extended families. Do not take long, though, my satisfaction with your performance will not last long."

Handerson nodded his head "Of course my lord, I will do as you've asked with all possible haste."

"Then go and do not fail to bring me the names."

_**St. Paul's Cathedral, London UK**_

"Have you seen Kevin yet this morning?" Connor asked as he trudged into the kitchen while rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

Murphy looked up from his bowl of cereal, blinking his blood shot eyes a few times before his brain connected the man in front of him with a name. "Huh….No, no I haven't seen him. You're the one sharing a room with him wasn't he there?"

A shuffling sound could be heard as Connor moved around the room pouring himself a cup of coffee before sitting down with sigh. "He wasn't there this morning and his bed was still made so he didn't come home last night."

Murphy grinned tiredly "What is this like 3 months with the same girl? I think that's a record for young Kevin. He's never dated the same girl for so long before."

Sirius walked in a few minutes later. Unlike Connor and Murphy, he was more awake, being accustomed to getting up early for work. Toast popped up a few minutes later and Sirius took it and a cup of tea over to the table.

"Why do you look so fucking cheerful?" Murphy asked petulantly. His head was still aching from the previous night when the 6 of them had celebrated a successful mission.

Connor glared at Sirius as well but was silent.

Sirius just shrugged and took a bite of toast, smiling as he chewed. "I didn't stay as long as you must have. Once Kevin went home, I took off. Where is he anyway, I figured he'd be up by now?"

The object of the conversation chose that moment to walk in. Kevin had a relaxed smile on his face and other than the fact that he was still wearing the same clothes from the night before, he looked like he would on any other morning.

Connor looked up and glared at Kevin balefully. He didn't care what Kevin did with his time, at least not really, but he was a little concerned when he didn't come home. "Decided to stay over?"

Kevin couldn't hide the stupid grin that split his face. "Yeah, I did. Sorry I didn't expect to be gone all night."

Connor stared into Kevin's eyes trying to see if he was being sincere or not. After a few seconds he was satisfied that his little brother did feel guilty, if only a little. He also realized that perhaps for the first time Kevin saw this girl as something more than a casual fling.

"But you left before me and you're just getting back now? Where were you? What if something had happened?" Sirius asked concerned, the questions tumbling over each other.

Murphy rolled his eyes and shared an amused glance with Connor. There was no way that either of them were going to help Kevin out with this one.

Kevin wasn't sure what the big mystery was. He'd figured that his brothers' jokes about his mystery girlfriend would have been enough to tip Sirius off as the where he was. "I was with Caitlin, you know my girlfriend."

Murphy gave a wolf whistle and Connor chortled softly. "So the mysterious blonde finally has a name. She must be special, I don't think you've ever given us a name until after you'd broken up with the poor girl."

"You know Murph, I never thought Kev would fall for a blonde. He just doesn't seem the type."

"I know. Maybe the blondes are different here in the UK than they are in the States, I don't think I even remember him going out with one before."

"Oh good lord!" Kevin muttered just loud enough to be clearly heard by the other three men. "For your information, she isn't blonde." He said without thinking.

Connor's face turned red as he struggled to reign in his laughter but he failed and soon he and Murph were wheezing from laughing so hard. Kevin just looked disgruntled but he had a soft smile on his face too. Sirius on the other was just plain confused.

"I don't get it. Is she blonde or isn't she?"

That just started the brothers laughing again while Kevin explained while the blood rushed to his face "She isn't a natural blonde."

"How do you know?" Sirius asked truly curious, not understanding what was so funny.

Murphy just snorted into his coffee and Connor shook his head.

Kevin's face looked like it was going to pop it was so red. He wished he hadn't said anything now, the jokes he was used to but Sirius seemed truly clueless which Kevin found hard to believe. "You're fucking kidding me right?" Kevin rolled his eyes then and said "She doesn't dye all of her hair."

The three of them just watched Sirius to see if he finally got what Kevin was talking about. It was a slow progression from confusion to understanding to embarrassment and finally to mild shock. "But you haven't had sex with her have you?"

"I've been dating her for three months, of course we've had sex. Why do you think I was so cranky when I was stuck in that damn knee brace?"

"But…but" Sirius seemed at a loss for words. The brothers weren't sure why he was so surprised, they had joked about Kevin's sex life with him before.

"Sirius, you've heard Connor and Murph joking about my sex life before why are you acting so surprised?"

"You're not even engaged!" He argued. "It…"

Whatever Sirius was going to say was drowned out by laughter from all three brothers now. Kevin had gotten over any embarrassment and was just as amused by Sirius' prudishness as his brothers. "Don't tell me, in the wizarding world people still wait until they're married?"

When Sirius nodded Connor couldn't help but ask "What did you think we were talking about when we were making fun of Kev?"

"I just thought…I don't know…I figured it was just snogging. It never even occurred to me that he…you know." Sirius finished uncomfortably.

By this time, Kevin had retrieved his own bowl of cereal and was wolfing it down. Despite his focus on his breakfast, Kevin kept on eye trained on Sirius.

Murphy joked "It didn't occur to you that he was having sex with an extremely hot girl. You do know that she isn't his first right?" The grin couldn't get any physically bigger when Sirius began blushing a bright red again. "Sirius, are you a virgin?" Murphy drawled suddenly.

At that both Connor and Kevin's heads snapped up and stared at Sirius expectantly.

Sirius spluttered "No, of course not. I was just surprised, it's not common in the wizarding world like it is in the muggle world."

All three were looking skeptically at Sirius now. Connor finally managed "Sure Sirius, we believe you."

Sirius decided that he couldn't win and would only embarrass himself further if he said anything else. So he hid behind the newspaper which drew another round of laughter.

Murphy turned his attention back to Kevin. "So Kev, you actually like this girl don't you?" The question was almost a statement.

Kevin's face lit up a little and it almost seemed like some of the pressure and weight fell away from his shoulders. He was more relaxed whenever he thought about Caitlin or was spending time with her. At those times, what they were doing didn't seem as impossible. "Yeah, yeah I do." He said it softly but there was a strength behind the words.

Sirius lowered the paper and looked at Kevin strangely. "Is she a witch?"

Kevin shook his head and pushed his empty cereal bowl forward. "I don't think so but…" He looked at Connor when he went on "She is from Ireland but she grew up in the US, Washington DC to be exact."

Connor's grin was huge "That's a good lad, stick with the Irish ladies, they won't steer you wrong."

Kevin felt a wave of sadness wash over him "I think mom would've liked her."

"I'm sure she would've but you realize you still need to get our seal of approval on this girl."

Kevin groaned and buried his face in his hands. He didn't see so much as hear Connor and Murphy get up from the table and leave the room still laughing and joking about how they were going to grill the poor girl when Kevin finally brought her around to meet them.

Looking up again, Kevin noticed that Sirius was studying him. "It doesn't bother you does it? You know that I've had sex."

The question startled Sirius but he answered honestly "Maybe a little, but it's just how I was raised. Kevin…um…I've been meaning to ask you something but…"

"Just ask Sirius."

"Well now that you have a girlfriend and she is American, I guess I was just wondering what you planned to do once this was all over."

Kevin couldn't understand why Sirius appeared so nervous and fidgety all of a sudden. "Other than finish college I don't know but I would imagine we'll go back to the States. Maybe not Boston though, there is too much history there. Chicago wouldn't be bad." Kevin mused. He didn't notice Sirius' crestfallen look. When he did notice, he asked "You didn't expect us to stay over here did you?"

"I guess not. I just hoped, you know…now that I found you…" He left it hanging there.

"Why would you stay here anyway? Is there a reason you couldn't come back to the States with us? I mean you already left the wizarding world behind."

Sirius looked surprised at the question. For some reason, he had never really considered leaving the UK maybe because he had spent so much time searching for Kevin. Suddenly he realized that Kevin was telling him to come with them when they left. He grinned "Well there's nothing keeping me here really. I think I wanted to stay here to continue the search for you. I needed a place to work from and the UK was the best option. Guess that doesn't really matter now does it?"

Kevin shook his head "No, and it would be a lot easier to see each other if we didn't have to cross the ocean every time."

By the look on Sirius' face and the way his body relaxed this was obviously something that had been bothering him for a while. Kevin stood up and started walking out of the room but he stopped and turned back to Sirius for a moment. "Besides, if you don't come with us who is going to teach how to handle a woman. By the sounds of it, you're going to need a crash course in everything."

Sirius just stared at Kevin's retreating form before yelling "I told you I'm not a virgin!"

"Sure tell us another one Sirius." Came the laughing reply.

**_Room of Requirement, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry UK_**

Albus had just called the meeting to order. Gathered around him was almost the entire membership of the Order of the Phoenix. Only a handful weren't present because of other assignments that couldn't be ignored.

"My friends thank you for coming together tonight. We do not gather together often enough, if we can't enjoy each other's company than what are we fighting for." Albus continued on with what passed for a rousing speech for many minutes.

Off to the side of the room, Remus Lupin and Alastor Moody were sitting together. "Can you believe this load of crap. If it wasn't for Voldemort I wouldn't want to know most of these people. Hell, I would have given up on Dumbledore too." Moody groused softly.

Remus snorted but otherwise kept his features the same. He was trying to give the impression awe and gratitude that the others in the room seemed to give off. When Albus finally came to the end of his welcoming speech, Remus elbowed Moody discreetly to shut up.

"Congratulations to all of you that participated in last night's activities. Together, we managed to blunt the worst of Voldemort's attacks. The damage done and loss of life is regrettable but thankfully all of our members survived with only a handful of injuries."

Moody's one good eye rolled and he could resist asking "What about the Death Eaters? Did we get any of them?"

"No, sadly they were able to escape. We must continue to hope that the Death Eaters realize the error of their ways and return to the side of the light." Albus' eyes practically glowed at the idea.

"The only Death Eaters I'd trust are dead. Albus, I don't know why you persist in this infantile obsession with saving the Death Eaters. They made their choice long ago and should be made to face up to it." Moody argued. He was one of the few Order members that routinely stood up to Dumbledore and had long since gotten used to the angry stares from the other members. Apparently, they didn't like him questioning the decisions of their leader.

Albus looked at Alastor sadly. "I know you have been hurt more than most by the darkness in our world. And you have certainly sacrificed to keep the light strong, but you must have faith that given the opportunity even the most ardent supporter of Voldemort will turn their back on him. It simply isn't conceivable that anyone would willing chose to live in such darkness without regretting their decision."

Moody wanted to bang his head against the wall in frustration or better yet bang Dumbledore's against the wall until some common sense sank in. "You're making a mistake Albus but I won't derail this meeting with another pointless debate."

Sturgis Podmore, a long time supporter of Dumbledore and a man who rarely if ever had an original thought was livid that Alastor Moody, a washed up Auror would dismiss Albus Dumbledore. "How dare you?! Albus Dumbledore is our leader if he says that the Death Eaters deserve another than chance than it is our job to support him."

Albus smiled in gratitude but held us his hands asking for quiet. "Thank you Sturgis but there is nothing wrong with hearing another opinion. Alastor is simply speaking from his experience, he hasn't had the benefit of all the years I've had to add perspective to his losses."

At this point, Alastor was ready to jump Albus, Order or not. He would not be dismissed by anyone as some jumped up child. The only thing that stopped him was Remus' hand gripping his shoulder tightly.

Attempting to cut Moody off before he could start a duel with Albus Remus asked "Albus, what was the other reason for calling us all together? Certainly it is good news to know that we were able to stop Voldemort's forces last evening but I doubt you would have pulled everyone together just for that."

Albus chuckled and moved over to an open chair that was set in the middle of the Order. "You're right of course Remus. The news of Voldemort's defeat last night was important but I feel we have let our true focus slide. We must put our energies into finding Harry Potter. Only he can end this war for us."

"But Albus, we've been searching for weeks and there has been no sign of him. What will be different this time?" A nameless voice called out.

"Because we have this now. It will alert us whenever Harry ventures out from wherever he is hiding. That is the task that we will take turns on. We may only have a short time to act when he emerges so I have setup a schedule. The locator will be monitored constantly for any sign of Harry."

Standing once more, Albus removed a small brown canvas sack from an inner pocket of his robes. Inside were a number of medallions shaped like Fawkes, his phoenix. After instructing each person to take one and pass the bag on Albus explained their use. "These medallions can be used to signal the rest of the Order and provide a location for apparition. After the unfortunate incident at the Weasley's I decided that something like this would improve our response time." He then proceeded to explain how to use the medallions and to issue an alert.

"Lastly, I have programmed a special alert for whoever is monitoring the locator. If Harry should appear all you need to is tap the medallion with your wand twice and program in the location. Remember, the longer that Harry Potter remains outside of our control the more people will die. It is imperative that he be brought to me so that I can prepare him for his duty."

Alastor stopped Remus once they were outside of Hogwarts. "You need to get word to Sirius. They need to know that the Order is actively tracking Harry now. If they want to keep the boy out of Albus' hands they will need to come up with some sort of escape plan."

**February 5th, 1999**

_**Room of Requirement, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry, UK**_

Emily Bronson was a young witch and a recent member of the Order of the Phoenix. She had graduated from Hogwarts just two years ago and had jumped at the chance to help her former headmaster fight against the Death Eaters and their master. Even in her mind, she wouldn't think his name. So far the Order hadn't been like she imagined it would be. There were few heroic battles against the Death Eaters. Most of their time was spent looking for Harry Potter which is exactly how she found herself sitting in the Room of Requirement in Hogwarts monitoring a small whirring device that was set to search automatically for any sign of Harry Potter.

Here she sat, reading a book while she babysat the locator for the next three hours. It had to be perhaps the most boring assignment she had ever been given whether it was from her time as a student or as a member of the Order.

Emily had been sitting for just over an hour when she decided to go to the kitchens to get a snack. It was possible to simply summon a house elf to the room but she wanted to stretch her legs and she was going a little stir crazy sitting there.

The trip to the kitchens took longer than she had expected. By the time she had reached the door to the room of requirement close to a half hour had passed. Once inside, she stopped dead in her tracks, the locator was flashing.

'Bloody hell!' she thought just my luck the damn thing goes off when I'm away from my post. That thought didn't stop her from rushing over and getting the coordinates. It took some time for the coordinates to flash up, something was interfering with the spell. It had to be something that Potter was doing. Whatever he was doing wasn't strong enough though because the coordinates did appear eventually. Quickly she programmed her phoenix medallion with the coordinates and sent the signal. As soon as that was done, she hurried to the Headmaster's office so she could floo to a point outside of the anti-apparition wards.

_**Yaxley Manor, Cornwall UK**_

Connor and Kevin were pinned down behind an overturned sofa by a trio of 3 masked Death Eaters. The three men were laughing as they played with what they assumed to be easy targets.

Unlike the attack against MacNair, Kevin and company were forced to search room by room the large Yaxley Manor. They had learned that the wards had long ago collapsed leaving only the fear of the man's status as a Death Eater as protection. Despite the lack of protection, the men inside were much quicker to react to muggle weaponry. Only 2 of the 9 Death Eaters present had fallen to shotgun blasts before they used shields to protect themselves.

Over confident after their successful attack on MacNair, the group had split into three smaller groups. Sirius and Murphy went up the stairs to the second level while Bill and Charlie Weasley moved towards the rear of the manor. Kevin and Connor were left to explore most of the main floor.

"Kevin can you keep this shield up for a little longer?"

Kevin nodded, his eyes closed in concentration. The golden shield was shimmering and wavering with each spell that hit it. It wouldn't last much longer.

Connor had noticed rack of liquor bottles nearby. Moving quickly, he ripped off a number of strips from his shirt and stuffed them into the necks of the bottles. He could only hope that wizarding alcohol was just as flammable as regular alcohol. Luckily he always carried a lighter even though he hadn't been smoking as much lately.

After lighting the rags he had stuffed into the bottles he made sure they were well lit before throwing four bottles in quick succession. Both Connor and Kevin were wholly unprepared for the ensuing explosion. Apparently, wizarding alcohol was far more explosive than what they were used to.

Kevin's already faltering shield shatter like an piece of glass. Connor slammed into Kevin, pushing down to the floor shielding him from the flames. The entire rear portion of the room was ablaze from where the flaming liquid had quickly spread. The Death Eaters forgot their shields and focused on trying to extinguish the fire from their robes and the walls.

Connor looked up when he realized that no spells were flying in their direction. With a simple twist, he had rolled off of Kevin and was kneeling with the shotgun held to his shoulder. A deep breath was enough to calm his hands and then he pulled the trigger. The shot was explosive sounding in the contained space of the room. The middle Death Eater flex back into wall, his back torn to pieces by the buck shot and his robes lit up in flames again from his impact.

The other two Death Eaters spun back to face Kevin and Connor. By this time Kevin had regained his feet and fired his own shotgun. The second Death Eater's face was torn apart reducing it to a mess of bone and blood.

The remaining Death Eater got off a spell forcing both brothers to dodge. Kevin just barely dodged a second spell flying his way. This gave Connor the time he needed to reload and fire again. The man flew through the open door way and crashed to floor with a wet splat. When the man didn't get up, Connor moved over to Kevin and helped him stand. By this time the fire had spread once again and smoke was rapidly filling the room.

"Come on, we have to get out here! The others can use magic to get away." Connor said urgently.

_**DMLE, Ministry of Magic, London UK**_

Amelia had just returned to her office following a long and painfully boring meeting with Cornelius Fudge. How that man remained Minister despite his blunders was a mystery to her. She could only fathom that Voldemort wanted him in power since he made the DMLE's job more difficult with his pointless laws restricting spells and magical creatures.

It was depressing to look at the stack of reports that had built up over the time she spent in St. Mungo's and then simply sitting by Susan's bed while she recovered. Even though she felt safe in leaving Susan at St. Mungo's she had felt a need to be near to her after coming so close to losing her niece. The stack would take some time to go through but if that was the price, she was more than willing to pay it.

Amelia was tempted to just ignore the reports for another day and head home but her sense of duty got the better of her. That and the fact that there was still being work done to repair her home. Though it would cost her a good portion of her family fortune she was paying to have stronger wards cast as well. They would keep out most dangers and after almost losing Susan she would do what she could to keep her safe.

Before Amelia could sit down, Kingsley Shacklebolt burst into her office. By now she knew the man well enough to know that he wouldn't barge in without an excellent reason so she held off on a tongue lashing.

"Madame Bones, I just got word that the Order knows where Harry Potter is. They will all be apparating to these coordinates." He rushed to say and handed over a written set of coordinates.

Amelia was silent for a moment as her mind raced to come up with a plan. She didn't want to risk a fight and as much she valued Kingsley's intelligence it may be time to bring him back.

Kingsley was waiting as patiently as he could but it was going to be a race depending on what Amelia decided to do. He watched mystified as she rummaged around in one of the drawers of her desk, finally coming back with a small keychain.

"Here take this. When activated, it will take you to a DMLE safe house that only I and a few others know about. I don't care if you have to blow your cover to do it but make sure Dumbledore does not get his hands on Harry Potter." She said sternly, her voice cold and serious.

Kingsley saluted her crisply and answered only with "Yes ma'am!" Then he was gone from her office and Amelia left to gather a few individuals that would go with her to the safe house.

_**Yaxley Manor, Cornwall UK**_

In the rear of the manor, Bill and Charlie were dueling with two Death Eaters. Things were more less at a standoff, the Death Eaters were using the unforgivables more than anything else forcing Bill and Charlie to conjure blocks of wood or stone to block them since their shields wouldn't be effective.

Panting Bill gasped "We can't keep this up. Do you have any ideas?" Even as he asked he conjured another block which promptly exploded under the impact from a killing curse.

Charlie was at a loss until he noticed something. Grinning maliciously he yelled "_Accio knives!_" One of the two Death Eaters had moved until he was standing right in front of a rack holding assorted kitchen knives for cooking and carving.

The Death Eater's shields were strong and had yet to be penetrated by either of the brother's spells but they only faced forward. There was nothing to stop the five knives the flew from the rack at phenomenal speeds sinking deep into the man's back. The only reaction was a startled gurgle before the man collapsed face forward onto the floor, blood seeping from the mouth of his mask.

The second Death Eater was enraged but without his partner the tide of battle quickly turned. He was on the defensive already when the explosion from the other room broke his concentration. Immediately his shield flickered away and before he could Bill hit him with a cutting curse to the chest which was quickly followed by a _Reducto_ from Charlie. The man's soared back into the wall his chest bleeding and crushed from the two spells.

Black smoke started to fill the room. Recognizing the danger and hoping the others were safe, Bill and Charlie apparated to safety.

_**Yaxley Manor, Cornwall UK**_

Sirius and Murphy had a hard time of it on the second level. They had battled Yaxley, a skilled Death Eater and a second man. The bulk of the fighting had fallen to Sirius when the second Death Eater caught Murphy with the Cruciatus sending the MacManus crashing to the floor writhing in pain as the man laughed.

Yaxley held Sirius at bay "If you move, I will kill the filthy muggle. I know you don't want that." He demonstrated his threat by casting a cutting curse, slicing deep into Murphy's thigh.

Sirius knew if he didn't do something quick, Murphy could die from blood loss and shock. He could only hope that the Death Eaters wouldn't expect him to use the Unforgivables. "_Avada Kedavra_!" which he quickly followed by "_Accio Murphy_!". The two spells shot out one right after the other. Yaxley never even reacted, the light just left his eyes in a green flash leaving only his crumpled body. Before the 2nd Death Eater could react Murphy slid across the floor to Sirius.

The explosion from the main level knocked both Sirius and the Death Eater to the floor. In desperation, the Death Eater tried to portkey away. Relief flooded through him when he felt the familiar tug, the temporary wards had fallen. Now all he had to do was face Voldemort.

As much as it pained him to do it, Sirius used a weak _Incendio_ to cauterize the wound on Murphy's thigh before apparating them both outside to the front of the manor. At almost the same time, Kevin and Connor came running from the front door.

Kevin caught sight of Sirius and ran towards him. When he saw Murphy he asked worriedly "What happened?"

"He was hit with the Cruciatus and a cutting curse. I had to cauterize the wound so hopefully he'll be ok but we need to get him to the doctor at the safe house."

"Can you…" Connor was interrupted by another voice.

"Harry Potter, I'm sorry it's come to this but you will be coming with us!" Albus Dumbledore and the Order of the Phoenix had arrived.


	13. Choices

A/N: I do not own Harry Potter & Co. or The Boondock Saints.

**Chapter 13: Choices**

**February 5th, 1999**

_**Yaxley Manor, Cornwall, UK**_

It was a disheveled group that stood before the Order of the Phoenix. Murphy was barely able to stand on his feet since he was still recovering from the _Cruciatus_ curse and the blood loss from the wound to his leg. Sirius was better off but with Murphy wounded, it would fall to him to protect him from whatever was going to happen.

Connor and Kevin were scraped and bruised but they were not seriously hurt. Their faces and clothes were smudged with ash from the fire and explosion but there was little else visibly wrong with them. Connor was the first to regain his breath from charging out of the burning manor and turned a cold glare on Dumbledore. "Kevin's not going anywhere with you, you self-serving fuck!"

A nameless voice cried out from one of the Order "How dare you speak to Albus Dumbledore like that?! He is the greatest wizard of our age and deserves your respect."

Albus nodded, acknowledging the compliment before adding "My boy surely you see that you can't beat all of us. Why not just accept your place in our world? If your so-called brothers truly care for you then I doubt they would begrudge your leaving them behind to return where you belong." Never having been all that close to his own brother, Albus truly had no understanding of how strong the ties were between the three MacManus brothers.

Kevin was just dumbfounded. He darted a quick look at Connor and Murphy to see similar expressions on their faces. "What the hell are you talking about? Family always comes first! If you don't understand that than I feel sorry for you and your followers. Let me put it in words you might understand. THERE IS NO FUCKING WAY I AM LEAVING MY FAMILY!" Kevin practically shouted.

Alastor Moody was standing next to Remus Lupin. While the exchange between Kevin and Dumbledore was taking place he whispered "Be ready, I think this is gonna get ugly real fast."

Remus didn't say anything but the way his wand subtly shifted to aim at the other Order members was enough to tell Alastor that his message was received.

Kingsley Shacklebolt had the same impression. Quietly, he disillusioned himself and started to circle slowly around towards Kevin and his brothers. His movements were slow in order to reduce any distortion effect but given that it was night time he was confident that he would escape notice. The biggest threat was in fact if fighting broke out then he could easily be caught by stray spells since he was invisible.

"Of course I understand the importance of family Harry that is exactly why you must come with us. Without you others will lose their families and that is something I won't allow to happen" Regretfully, Albus raised his wand. It was clear that Harry was not willing to serve the greater good. It was going to be necessary to take him by force. Harry would be made to pay his debt to the wizarding world, he had no other choice.

"Oh so it's ok to sacrifice my family as long as others are left untouched." Kevin stated wanting to make sure that everyone present understood exactly what Dumbledore was saying.

"I'm sorry Harry but sacrifices must be made for the greater good."

Connor argued "It's only a sacrifice if one is willing to make it, otherwise it is just a crime, whether you want to admit it or not. What gives you the right to make that decision for others?" Connor had a pistol in each hand by this time, he was unconcerned about Kevin. Connor was confident that his brother could take care of himself. The biggest worry was Murphy, Sirius was going to have to defend him because the shit was about to hit the fan.

"It saddens me that you are so short sighted but you've left me with no other choice."

Before Dumbledore could fire off a spell, Kevin called out "Dumbledore, there's always a choice to make and you've just made the one that sealed your fate in this world and the next one."

Connor and Murphy could see the familiar aura marking someone for retribution flaring brightly around the old man. They knew what Kevin was saying. Both resigned themselves to the fact that they would have to try kill Dumbledore.

"Harry your muggle weapons won't work against us. I've taken the necessary precautions to ensure we are adequately protected." Albus supplied helpfully. Unfortunately, Kevin and the others were not interested in wounding him this time. Dumbledore had made his choice and tonight he would pay for his decisions.

Connor and Kevin snapped off a shot, aiming not for Dumbledore's chest or body but his head. It was only the old man's years of experience that saved him. Waving his wand, he transfigured a stone barrier in front of him that managed to stop to bullets.

Spells started to fly from shocked Order members but the two brothers had already split up. Sirius and Murphy were largely ignored for the first few seconds. The Order made the mistake of thinking that the two men were not supporting Connor and Kevin. A cluster of three Order members were blown off their feet when the ground erupted in a massive explosion from Sirius' blasting curse. A fourth man screamed when Murphy's shotgun roared and disintegrated the man's hand and wand in a spray of blood and wood.

Remus moved over and quietly stunned the three fallen Order members before moving towards his next target. There were too many Order members to attack openly but he could help even the odds if he chose his targets carefully.

Moody was less circumspect. He had finally grown tired of Dumbledore's ways. He really didn't understand why the man was so bent on forcing Kevin to do his bidding. After tonight it wasn't even worth being a spy in the Order anymore. The Order members were even worse; they seemed to swallow the man's bullshit and never questioned a single word.

Albus was ignorant to what was going on in Moody's head while he focused his attentions on subduing Harry Potter. "Remember, Harry mustn't be hurt." He shouted to the Order before sending a dizzying array of spells at Harry. They included stunners, body binds, and other minor spells that would slow or incapacitate the boy.

Kevin was quick and agile though and was able to avoid the spell barrage. Though he was able to dodge the spells, the effort it required prevented him from getting off a return shot. Luckily for Kevin it seemed that only a few Order members were focusing on him, the rest were splitting their attention between Connor, Sirius and Murphy.

After his initial luck in hitting the Order member, Murphy had not been able to significantly injure any more. His shots more often than not hit a shield or whatever passed for body armor. He knew they had to end this quickly, it was only adrenalin that was keeping him on his feet at the moment and he knew his brothers would sacrifice themselves to protect him if he passed out now.

Kingsley by this time had managed to crawl his way towards Kevin. Albus had been unknowingly driving Kevin towards his position. Before Kevin could jump out of a roll, Kingsley lunged at him and managed to grab him around the waist while at the same time activating the portkey that was given to him by Amelia Bones.

Connor roared when he saw Kevin disappear "What the fuck did you do with him old man?!"

Albus was silent. He hoped that one of his Order members had somehow managed to portkey Harry away. The battle fell silent and a tension began to build.

When Albus didn't answer his question, Connor's whole demeanor changed. It was anything dramatic, but his frustration and agitation fell alway to be replaced by a cold anger. His body straightened into what could be considered an arrogant stance and his eyes practically burned. Unknown to Murphy and Sirius since they couldn't see his face, but for just a moment Connor's eyes glowed like the dawn sun. In a voice that demanded attention he said "You son of a bitch, if you don't tell me where you sent my brother, I will kill every last one of you!"

No one said anything. Even Murphy and Sirius were a little unnerved by Connor. He hadn't shouted or yelled but his words held the promise of punishment if he didn't get an answer.

Moody had seen Kevin disappear and now was afraid that Connor might follow through on his threat. That made him decide to act before the situation degenerated further "I'm sorry Albus, but you've really gone too far. _Stupefy_!"

Albus turned to face Moody having caught the apology. His eyes betrayed his disappointment when he blocked Moody's spell. And he prepared to deal with his old friend.

Connor, ignoring the remaining Order members took a breath and snapped off another shot. Distracted by Moody, Albus wasn't even aware of the danger until a small hole appeared near the top of his skull. His mouth hung open in an astonished expression even as the other side of his skill exploded outwards.

Connor never knew if his shot hit the old man or not. In the time he had taken to fire his shot, he was hit by two stunning spells and a body bind. His arms and legs slammed together before he fell to the ground stiffly and unconscious.

The entire battle stopped again when they saw Albus fall except for Moody who charged Connor. Everyone else watched as the greatest wizard of the age slumped to the ground. Seconds passed before cries of outrage and pain rose from the Order members who turned their wrath on Connor, Murphy and Sirius.

Sirius had no choice but to apparate Murphy away. He could only hope that the Order wouldn't kill Connor or that Remus would have some way to rescue him.

Moody had the same idea. Moving as fast as he could with his peg leg, Moody made incredible time managing to reach Connor before the Order came out of their shock. Once he was close enough, Moody dove onto the younger man and apparated them away.

Silence fell over the Order members. The only sound was the roaring fire that was rapidly destroying Yaxley Manor. Those that were able to moved over to examine the fallen form of Albus. It was immediately evident that there was nothing that could be done. The only thing left for the Order to do was to heal their injured and mourn the loss of their great leader. A vow was made that night to see Dumbledore's plans come to pass; somehow he must have sent Harry Potter to the designated location before succumbing to Moody's treachery.

_**DMLE Safe house, London, UK**_

Kevin struggled to his feet after the portkey deposited them in the safe house. Forcibly, he broke Kingsley's hold and pointed his gun at the man's head. "Who the fuck are you?"

Kingsley scrambled back, holding his heads up to show he didn't have a wand. "Calm down Harry you're safe."

"I'm sick of explaining this to you Order fucks. My name's not Harry fucking Potter! It became Kevin MacManus the day my mom rescued me and adopted me." The tone of his voice left little doubt that Kevin was going to punish the next person who called him Harry.

Kevin jumped and turned to face a new potential threat when a woman's voice said "Indeed then Kevin it shall be. First let me apologize for your abrupt journey. Kingsley was under instructions to save you if the Order was to try and kidnap you."

"Who the hell are you lady and whose orders was he following if they weren't from that old self-righteous fuck Dumbledore." Kevin's temper was boiling. He was already on edge because of the Death Eaters and then the damned Order. Now there was another group that had decided they wanted to play.

"I'm willing to allow you some lee way Mr. MacManus given the situation but please refrain from such language in my presence." Amelia stopped for a moment to make sure that Kevin understood before continuing on. "To answer your first question, my name is Amelia Bones; I'm the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement."

"Bang up job you guys are doing." Kevin said sarcastically.

For a second Amelia's eyes flashed in anger and Kevin realized he may be pushing the wrong person. What he and his brothers were doing wasn't exactly legal so it wouldn't do to antagonize the local law enforcement.

"I'm sorry; it's been a long night." Kevin said apologetically. "I'm sure my brothers will attest to the fact that my mouth gets away from me far too often."

Kingsley moved over to stand next to Amelia which Kevin found reassuring in a way. The man had given up an advantage by no longer forcing Kevin to split his attention.

"Benton, Lawson go back to the DMLE. I think Kingsley and I can manage things from here."

Two figures faded into view and Kevin understood what Amelia was doing. Obviously, he never stood a chance if they attacked him.

"Are you sure ma'am?"

"Yes and not a word of this had better leak or you will face more than the loss of your jobs."

"Yes ma'am." The two men said in unison before activating portkeys to take them back to the Ministry.

Once the Aurors had left, Amelia offered Kevin a chair and something to drink. He passed on the drink, still not fully trusting these two people but he gratefully sank into the chair with a tired sigh. Kingsley and Amelia also sat down.

"Kevin, I hope you don't mind if I call you that. Mr. MacManus sounds entirely too formal." Amelia said with a soft laugh. When she got no protest from Kevin she went on. Pointing briefly at Kingsley she explained "For some time now, Kingsley has been my spy in the Order of the Phoenix. A while ago he brought word to me of plans to kidnap you and force you to fight Voldemort for our world. It is certainly true that Albus is not the only one that would try this. There are those in the Ministry that would try and exploit your fame to further their career. I was more concerned about the ramifications if Dumbledore was successful, you were powerful enough as a baby to defeat the perhaps the strongest dark lord of our time. I didn't want to see Albus add another enemy of the wizarding world. So when Kingsley told me that you had been found, I gave him instructions to take you to this safe house and keep you out of the hands of the Order."

"What do you plan to do with me?" Kevin asked bluntly.

Amelia rubbed her eyes; it had been a long day for her as well. "To be honest, I would like your assistance but as I said, I was more concerned that Dumbledore would make another enemy for the wizarding world."

"What assistance are we talking about? I have barely any experience with the wizarding world and the little I do have could not be called positive by even the loosest definition."

"Before I answer that, perhaps you could answer a question for me. What were you doing at Yaxley Manor? Did you have anything to do with it suddenly going up in flames?"

Given the state of his clothes, there was little point in denying his involvement in the fire. His best option was not to answer.

Amelia didn't expect an answer and pushed forward with her next question "You wouldn't happen to have been involved with the death of another group of Death Eaters at MacNair manor would you?"

Kingsley almost spit out his tea in surprise. He hadn't really given much time to speculate on what Kevin was doing at Yaxley manor but he never suspected that the boy could have been involved in the other deaths.

Kevin paled for a second before regaining control of himself. But it was enough to confirm Amelia's suspicions. Kevin MacManus and his brothers were either working with the Saints or they were the Saints themselves. All she did though was nod her head. "Perhaps this conversation should be held when your brothers can be involved as well."

"Why should I give my brothers up to you?" Kevin asked suspiciously.

"I have no intention of arresting you, but I think you understand now the type of assistance I'm looking for."

"So you don't approve of Dumbledore's methods but you're not above blackmail. What happens if we decide not to help? You throw us in jail for doing your job?" No one threatened his brothers; Kevin would do whatever was necessary to protect them. He began formulating plans to take out the woman and man seated in the room with him.

Now Amelia showed her own anger. "That's enough!" She said sharply. "I've no intention of seeing you charged for anything. In fact, I'm prepared to issue you documents granting you and your brothers immunity from prosecution regardless of whether you help or not. Not all witches and wizards are manipulative assholes like Dumbledore."

Taken aback by both her anger and explanation Kevin apologized for the second time that night. "Other than one or two notable exceptions, my experience with wizards and witches has not been very positive."

"I understand but please don't tar us all with the same brush."

"I can't give you any decision here anyway. My brothers have as much say in this as I do."

"I wasn't expecting an answer immediately." She reached a hand into her robes slowly in a non-threatening manner so as not to frighten Kevin. When she withdrew her hand, she had a mobile phone. "I assume you know how to use this? When Kevin nodded that he did she explained "I will call you on this phone in two days and we can setup a time and place to meet."

Kevin took the phone and slipped it into his pocket. "So you're going to just let me walk out of here?"

Amelia smiled now, sinking back into the chair once the worst of the discussion was in the past. "Yes, I told you, you were only brought here to keep you away from the Order. While you are safe here, the Order will no doubt be after you again once you leave."

"Where are we? How do I get back to London?" Kevin asked.

Now Amelia laughed and it more than anything served to break the remaining tension in the room. "This safe house is in the last place the Death Eaters, the Order or even most Ministry personnel would ever look. We are in muggle London, near Victoria to be specific."

Kevin admitted it was a brilliant idea. From Sirius' description of the prevailing attitudes in the wizarding world, they would never think to look here. "If that's the case, then I'm going to go find my brothers. I will talk to you in a couple of days."

Kingsley and Amelia went over the events of the evening after Kevin left with Kingsley agreeing to provide a memory of the attack on Kevin should there be any questions. Their business concluded for the night, Amelia and Kingsley left as well.

_**St. Paul's Cathedral, London, UK**_

Kevin took his time getting back to the cathedral. It gave him a chance to make sure that he wasn't being followed by anyone from the Order or even the DMLE. Amelia hadn't given him any reason to suspect her of treachery but he wouldn't risk his brothers unnecessarily. It was close to 4am in the morning by the time that Kevin staggered into the safe house for the Order of the Garter.

As much as he wanted to collapse on his bed, Kevin knew his brothers were probably going nuts trying to figure out where he was and how to get him back. So it was a tired and bedraggled looking Kevin that staggered into the kitchen to find a worried Connor and Murphy.

Kevin stood in the doorway for a moment, curious to see how long it took them to notice. Murphy looked up first. The relief that swept through him was almost palpable. As fast he could, he scrambled out of his chair and practically slammed into Kevin in his effort to hug him. "Kevin, thank god you're safe!" His voice was choked with emotion.

Connor waited as patiently as he could but when Murphy showed no signs of letting go of their younger brother anytime soon he resorted to brute force. Kevin's moment of freedom was short-lived before he was once again wrapped in a bone crushing hug. "Never again, Kevin. You don't have to worry about that man ever again."

Kevin pulled back from Connor and looked at him quizzically, his head cocked to one side. "What do you mean?"

Murphy answered smugly "He means that unless magic can heal a bullet to the brain, Dumbledore won't be trying to break up our family ever again."

This time when Kevin examined Connor's face for some clue to his state of mind, he was surprised at what he found. In the past, Connor always felt some remorse for the people that they had killed, no matter what crimes the person had committed. This time though, there was no remorse shining out from his eyes, there was only conviction and a promise to do it again if necessary.

"Thanks." Kevin said softly.

Connor stepped back and made sure he looked Kevin in the eyes when he said "Kev, no one breaks up our family, no one!" He paused for a second to make sure that Kevin understood before he continued "We knew it was just a matter of time for Dumbledore, the man made his choice when he tried to take you away from us." Connor paused again and included Murphy in his gaze "I would do anything to keep you two safe!" He finished with quiet conviction.

No one said anything for a moment. The three men were content to draw comfort from the simple presence of the others. Nothing more needed to be said.

Typically, it was Murphy who broke up the moment. "Kev where the fuck were you? I about died when you disappeared like that. Sirius is with that Lupin guy grilling him on where the Order might have taken you."

Kevin ignored the question and moved over to sit on one of the kitchen chairs. Wordlessly, Connor crossed over to the refrigerator to get three beers before sitting down himself.

Murphy and Connor waited as patiently as they could while Kevin just stared at the unopened bottle before him. Finally after a couple of minutes Murphy was getting fed up "Oh for fuck's sake! Kev tell us what happened!"

That was when Kevin grinned at them and Murphy realized that he had just been played. Connor laughed tiredly, it was good to see things were still mostly normal.

Before he totally got on their nerves, Kevin explained what happened and how he had been brought to a Ministry safe house. Predictably his brothers were concerned about the implications of someone in Amelia's position knowing their secret. Without knowing more about Amelia Bones, they wouldn't know if she was like Smecker or Dumbledore. Once Sirius got back, they would question him but for now they talked over the pros and cons of meeting with her.

Aside from the obvious risks, there was no real downside to meeting with her. If she wanted them arrested, there were surely easier ways to go about it and ways that wouldn't put her physically at risk. In the end, they decided to table the discussion until Sirius was back. Amelia wouldn't be calling for a couple of days, so there was time to come up with a plan.

After the beers, the three were barely able to keep their eyes open so they decided to head off to bed. Sirius should be back by the time they got up again. Kevin barely made it to his bed before falling asleep.

No more than an hour passed before someone woke up both Connor and Kevin by pounding on the door. Sirius called out loudly "Connor! Connor wake up!"

Connor just groaned and tried to bury his head under a pillow to go back to sleep. Sirius didn't let up though. With an angry grumble Kevin dragged himself out of bed and yanked the door open. "For god's sake Sirius, shut the fuck up!"

Sirius just stood there with his mouth gaping and his fist in the air in mid-pound. Kevin grumbled again and shuffled back to his bed and pulled his covers over his head.

Sirius was shocked into silence for another few seconds before he shouted "Kevin!" Sirius changed into the large black dog that was his animagus form and leaped onto Kevin's bed. Using his teeth he pulled the covers away from Kevin's head. His long wet tongue lolling from his mouth began to swipe Kevin's neck and face.

"Sirius, stop! Get the fuck off me!" Kevin tried to push Sirius off him but was too twisted in the sheets of the bed to get any leverage.

Murphy leaned against the doorway wearing nothing but his boxers and a t-shirt, attracted by all the shouting and noise. "Sirius, not sure if you noticed or not but we found Kevin." He said blandly.

Sirius jumped off the bed and barked happily, his tail swinging wildly. He changed back after getting hit by pillows from both Connor and Kevin.

Like with his brothers earlier, Kevin found himself wrapped in a bone creaking hug from Sirius. Once again, Kevin was forced to explain what happened and why he disappeared from the battle. Sirius wasn't able to give much insight into Amelia Bones, she wasn't in office when he went to Azkaban and he had left the wizarding world shortly after his recovery. He suggested that they ask Alastor Moody instead.

"Why him? Isn't he the scarred guy in the Order? The one that Murphy knifed." Kevin asked.

"We haven't had a chance to fill him in on everything that happened." Connor explained to Sirius.

"What?"

"Turns out that Alastor Moody was the Order of the Garter's spy in the Order of the Phoenix. When it became apparent what Dumbledore was going to do, he and Remus Lupin turned their wands on the Order members. He was the one who got Connor out of there after he killed Dumbledore."

"Sounds like we owe him one then." Kevin said. "I doubt the Order reacted too well to his death."

No one bothered to dignify that comment with a response.

"Regardless of what Alastor says about her, you're going to need to meet with Amelia. She'll be the only one that can protect you from any backlash for killing Dumbledore."

"Fuck I didn't think about that." Connor exclaimed. He had been so concerned about Kevin that he hadn't considered the ramifications.

Murphy argued though "Yeah but if anyone from the Order says anything, they're going to have to admit what they were doing there in the first place. Most people wouldn't look too kindly on kidnapping. Hell if Kev was a few year younger they would be screaming for his blood and calling him a pedophile."

Sirius shook his head and sat down on the edge of Kevin's bed. "Sorry, that may be true in the muggle world but in the wizarding world all people will see is that you killed Albus Dumbledore, everyone's grandfather. The average witch and wizard will just assume that Dumbledore had a good reason for whatever he was doing no matter whether it was illegal or not."

"Can Lupin help? He was there wouldn't it help to get some sort of testimony from someone in the Order?" Kevin asked.

"The Ministry wouldn't listen to him. He's a werewolf and worthless in the eyes of most."

"Alastor then?" Connor asked. "What would they do outside of the wizarding world?"

Sirius gave the last some thought before answering. "Moody would be a good witness. He was an Auror for a long time before finally retiring. He's considered a little paranoid but Amelia at least would give weight to his testimony. To answer your second question, you could hide out in the muggle world but they do work with muggle police on occasion."

"Fuck! We really have to meet with Amelia and hopefully she will believe our version. I don't really care what the wizarding thinks about me but I would prefer to not spend my life on the run. Especially when all I was doing was protecting my family."

Sirius offered "I'll talk to Alastor later today."

**February 6th, 1999**

_**Unknown Location, UK**_

Evan Rosier was in a good mood this bright and sunny morning. Yet another of the Inner Circle had been killed further strengthening his own position with Voldemort. Of course, he needed to deliver the news of Yaxley's death and the destruction of his manor to Voldemort, he also had news from sources within the Ministry.

It took him some time to find Voldemort once he had arrived in the mansion. Evan was able to locate Voldemort outside sitting in the middle of a small copse of trees. Voldemort was sitting Indian style with a hand resting palm up on each knee and his eyes were closed. Even though it was still winter, the Dark Lord was ignoring the effects of the cool temperature.

The sound of dry leaves rustling and small branch snapping alerted Voldemort to Evan's presence. Deep, blood red eyes snapped open and speared Evan with his baleful gaze. Evan felt some of his confidence falter under that cold stare but he straightened his back and approached. After bowing respectfully Evan explained his presence.

"Lord Voldemort, I apologize for disturbing your meditation. I bring grave news."

"What is it Rosier? I'm not in the mood for your games this morning." Voldemort snapped, barely reigning in his temper.

"My lord, Yaxley Manor was destroyed last evening and Yaxley himself is dead as well."

"Voldemort tilted his upward to more easily observe Evan when he said "I know. Since MacNair's death I have been making modifications to the magic infusing my dark mark. Now, I am aware when any of my Death Eaters die or are hurt in any way."

"If you knew they were being attacked, why did you not do something?" Evan asked before he realized that he was questioning Voldemort's actions.

"Evan, you are fortunate that I am in a forgiving mood this morning or you would be joining Yaxley in death for daring to question me. If Yaxley and the others weren't strong enough to repel one attack then they are no use to me and deserve their fate."

A chill went up Evan's spine. Voldemort had delivered his answer in the same tone as someone discussing the day's weather. It was a simple statement of fact, there was no attempt at intimidation and yet Evan found himself more terrified of his lord than ever.

"I hope for your sake that you have something more to report Evan."

"Yes I do my lord. I was contacted this morning by a sympathizer in the DMLE. The one responsible for Yaxley's death last night was none other than Harry Potter and his muggle brothers. They were found on the scene by Dumbledore and his Order of the Phoenix. According to the Auror I spoke with Dumbledore tried to kidnap Harry Potter, I presume to use as a weapon against you but Amelia Bones rescued him."

"Well done Evan, for this I might even spare you. Where is the boy now?"

"He was last seen at a DMLE safe house by Bone dismissed my contact before he could get more information. Unfortunately, the safe house is under the _Fidelius_ so he was not able to give me the location. Oh, one other thing apparently he does not go by the name Harry Potter anymore. He has taken the name of the muggle scum that adopted him. He will only answer to the name Kevin MacManus."

Voldemort closed his eyes in thought for a moment. "Yes, that could be why all my attempts to locate him have failed. The identity we were searching for is dead." He mused. A moment later he snapped his eyes up to Evan's face once more "I want the boy found and brought to me. Yaxley may have been a weak fool but know one kills my Death Eaters but me!"

"Yes my lord, I will begin the search immediately."

"Do not fail me Evan, you have done well today but I will brook no more failures from my Inner Circle."

Bowing deeply again Evan backed away while saying "Yes Lord Voldemort, I will not fail you."

_**Podmore Manor, London UK**_

The uninjured members of the Order of the Phoenix were meeting in Podmore Manor to determine their course of action. With Dumbledore gone, their greatest strength and hope had faded. Many were ready to give in and let the Death Eaters hold sway over their world but Sturgis Podmore was not one of them. He too was feeling the loss of Dumbledore but instead of filling him with misery and despair, the death of his leader had ignited a fire within him to see all those responsible brought to justice.

"My friends, I too and deeply saddened by the loss of Albus Dumbledore, the greatest of us. Is this what he would have wanted though, his followers to give into despair at the time when the world's need is the greatest? No, he would want us to fight on, to protect the innocent and ensure the victory of the light!"

"What can we do though? None of us are a match for He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."

"No we are not, but we are more than strong enough to deal with the Death Eaters." He paused for a second and took a deep breath before saying "Voldemort…" It was the first time since Voldemort's rise that he had uttered the man's name. "Voldemort will be dealt with by Harry Potter. We can not let him escape his duty to us."

"He must be dark though, he's probably standing by his side as we speak gloating in the death of Albus at the hands of his filthy brother."

Sturgis shook his head "I don't think so but you are right about his brother. He will face justice for what he has done. I plan to speak with Amelia Bones today and if necessary I will take this to the Minister himself. No mere muggle will get away with the blood thirsty murder of Albus Dumbledore."

"But what do we do in the meantime?"

"We must maintain our watch for Potter. He will emerge from hiding again and when he does we will be waiting for him."


	14. Repercussions

A/N: I do not own Harry Potter & Co. or The Boondock Saints.

**Chapter 14: Repercussions **

**Feb 6th, 1999 **

**_St. Paul's Cathedral, London UK _**

After Sirius had finally calmed down, the four men went to their beds and quickly fell asleep once again. For the first time in months Connor, Murphy and Kevin found themselves sharing a dream. As usual, they appeared to be in a cathedral, not unlike St. Paul's. The marble on the floors and pillars was a brilliant white and there was a soft golden light bathing the altar at the front of the cathedral the trio was standing in. Unlike their previous dreams, there were three figures standing in front of the altar, waiting for them to approach.

All three figures were clearly angels, framed as they were by glowing incandescent white wings. Slowly, reverently, they moved forward until they were standing in front of the figures. After taking a moment to take in the radiant beings before them Connor, Murphy and Kevin knelt with their heads bowed and waited in silence.

Uriel spoke first, his great voice filled with power "My brothers I know the road that you have been traveling is difficult but everyday that you walk the path fills me with pride. You have overcome every obstacle and brought the unworthy to justice. Yet in that task you have used the strength of your family and your faith to see you through. The time rapidly approaches when you will face your final test and if you are victorious, you will be at last able to set down this burden."

The angel standing in the middle spoke next, his voice quiet but filled with an authority that was greater than anything the MacManus brothers had ever heard. His presence was more commanding that that of Uriel and he carried with him a large sword that hung on his hip. If the depictions were at all accurate, then the angel could be none other than Michael, leader of the heavenly hosts. "We have all watched you as you strive to do God's work and remain true to his faith and the trust placed in you. The burden would never have been given over to you if you had not been capable of persevering and coming through the other side. My brothers you must remain strong, the danger around you grows greater everyday and the future of both worlds rests on the outcome."

The identity of the third angel was a mystery to them. The strength conveyed by his voice was different than that of Michael or Uriel. It was more nurturing and healing. It did not carry the martial qualities of the other two. The voice itself was softer in timbre and seemed to wrap itself around them like a comforting blanket. "Know that you are not alone. The strength of your family and those who love and care for you will give you strength and provide you succor. Hold fast to each other and your faith, those are your greatest advantages over the darkness that threatens to sweep over you."

Connor felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up into the grave face of Uriel. "Connor please come with me, I would speak with you away from your brothers."

Connor was uncertain for a moment but he noticed that Michael had approached Kevin and the third angel seemed to be speaking with Murphy as well. Confused but secure that his brothers were safe in the company of the angels, he moved off with Uriel.

"Connor, I know that you have had doubts about the work that you and your brothers have done but you continue anyway because of your faith."

Face red with shame, Connor nodded to show he agreed with what was said.

"You feel guilty about the death of Albus Dumbledore though you hide it well from your brothers. Why is that? You know what the man was guilty of." Uriel continued.

Swallowing nervously, Connor tried to put words to his thoughts and feelings "Because…because I didn't kill him because of that. It was an excuse. I killed him because he was threatening Kevin, our family."

"Others have been a threat to your family since you began walking this path and yet you did not kill them. What is the difference?"

Connor didn't have an answer to that. What was the difference? Was he in fact more willing to use lethal force with Dumbledore because he knew the man was to die anyway?

"Connor, you are the oldest. You have always been the Protector of your family." Connor could hear the capital in the title. "It is not an easy burden to carry. Do you know why you are more burdened with guilt over your family's actions than either of your brothers?"

A shake of his head was the only answer that Connor had to give.

"It is because they trust you to keep them from ever straying off the path. They know that you will do whatever is necessary to see that it doesn't happen. It is a difficult task that you have placed for yourself but one that you are well suited for."

There was a little relief in those words. Connor knew deep down that Kevin and Murphy would never become murderers but there was always that little doubt when they showed no hesitation or remorse.

"Have no fears for yourself either Connor. Your love of your brothers and your faith in God has kept you from straying. You have restrained yourself from dealing out punishment when it was not due. On some level, in your fight with Dumbledore you understood that the man had crossed a line and his time for judgment was at hand. Any other motivations were secondary. Continue as you have and your strength will help see your family through this."

------

While Uriel was speaking with Connor, both his brothers were having similar conversations.

Murphy and the unknown angel moved over to the far side of the altar away from his two brothers. Even as he walked, he was searching his memory for clues as to who this angel was.

A soft laugh brought his attention back to the being in front of him. "You don't know who I am do you?"

Murphy shrugged his shoulders in apology and said "No, I'm sorry. I've been trying to place you but I can't."

The angel laughed again "Don't worry, you aren't the first and I doubt you will be the last. I've never had the flair for the dramatic that Michael or Uriel do. I am Raphael."

"The healer…" Murphy finished, recognition dawning on him at last.

"Good to see I'm not totally ignored these days." Raphael smiled to show Murphy that he truly found the situation humorous. "You and your brothers each have an important role play Murphy. Connor is the Protector and Kevin is the Arbiter."

"What does that make me?" It was good to know that he wasn't simply included as a tag along with his brothers. Since they were kids, Connor had always been their big brother standing up for them even though he was only minutes older than Murphy. Kevin, Kevin had a destiny that had brought them all to England. He didn't begrudge either of his brothers their roles but at times he struggled to define who he was in this whole fucked up mess.

Raphael smiled at Murphy in understanding. "Though it may not seem it, your role is just as critical to the future of your brothers. You are the Healer."

Murphy started to scoff but was interrupted by Raphael "No, don't scoff. You are the one that brings them back from the brink. It is your efforts that keep them grounded in life. It is your own example, by continuing to live and pursue…more earthly needs you keep Kevin and Connor from losing themselves to the struggle. Connor may be the Protector, responsible for keeping you physically safe and on the path, but you are ultimately responsible for keeping safe the future of your brothers' souls."

------

Kevin and Michael stayed where they were in front of the altar.

"Are you really Michael?" Kevin asked in awe.

"Yes I am." Michael answered simply.

"It's been months since we have had any dreams, why now? You're not here to punish Connor are you?" He tried to sound brave and strong but there was an undercurrent of fear as well. If Michael or any of the angels wanted to punish Connor there was nothing that he could do.

Michael reached and rested his gloved hand on Kevin's shoulder in a comforting manner. "No, Kevin none of you are to be punished. Uriel and Raphael simply had messages to give to your brothers and I have one for you as well."

"I have watched you for a long time you know." Michael said almost musingly. "I saw you vanquish Voldemort the first time. I've seen you struggle in the face of aggressors be they school bullies or criminals. Now, I've seen you stand up for a world you know nothing of and truly no longer belong in. Not many could do as you have done."

Kevin wanted to deny the praise. He hadn't done anything special; someone else would have taken his place if he hadn't been in those positions. His brothers would have done it he was sure.

"No, Kevin you are wrong you're brothers would not have done as you have." Michael held up his hand to hold off any protests from Kevin. "That is not meant as a slight to your brothers, they are simply different and would have acted similarly in many situations but they would not have been willing to help the wizarding world as you have."

Kevin didn't want to think that he was any different than either of his brothers. Personally he thought they would have helped but he acknowledged that it would have been reluctant at best. Neither of his brothers were the kind to overlook someone's faults or sins and god knows the wizarding world seemed to have more than its fair share.

"Kevin your fight against Voldemort will be the hardest battle you have faced. In order to win you need to give yourself over to your faith. It will guide you and aid you when you need it most. You must be willing to put your life in the hands of God. And Kevin, I will be there with you, you will not be alone. I can do no less."

Kevin was confused, why would Michael be with him? Did he mean physically or just spiritually? And what was that look in his eyes, Kevin couldn't decipher it. He wasn't sure if Michael was remembering battles fought long ago or if he was imagining the battle yet to come.

While Kevin was pondering Michael's words, the other four returned. Kevin and his brothers knew that the meeting was at an end but before they woke up, Michael had some parting words for them. "Be strong my brothers. Success rests on your actions as it has in the past. Do your best and let your faith and your love be your strength. You will be with us again when this is all over."

**_DMLE, Ministry of Magic, London UK _**

Amelia sighed; it was going to be a long day she thought as she looked at the latest edition of the Daily Prophet. Thankfully Moody had contacted her last night and she had been able to get ahead of the story but there was still going to be a firestorm.

**_Albus Dumbledore Slain by Muggle _**

**_By _**

**_Rita Skeeter _**

_Late last night, Albus Dumbledore along with members of the vigilante group, the Order of the Phoenix confronted a young man suspected of being none other than our missing savior Harry Potter, the boy-who-lived. It seems that our savior was rescued from certain death after being abandoned by his relatives by an Irish muggle woman. Since that time, Harry has been raised with two brothers in the United States. _

_According to sources inside the Order, the venerable Headmaster became obsessed with finding the boy. On one occasion he had gone so far as to kidnap Harry Potter from his home, forcibly bringing him to Hogwarts. I was told that Harry's brothers and Sirius Black arrived within hours to rescue him but they found him already escaping after warning Dumbledore to leave him alone. _

_One must ask at this point, why the Ministry was not involved. Is it common place for the Headmaster of Hogwarts to go around kidnapping young men? Regardless of their excuses, the Ministry let Albus Dumbledore continue unchecked. _

_Following the escape of the boy-who-lived, the now departed Headmaster became more obsessed with finding Harry Potter, going so far as to blame the attacks of Death Eaters on Harry Potter. His reasoning, Harry Potter had refused to stay in Hogwarts which would have had some miraculous power to stop the advances of Voldemort. _

_Apparently, the situation came to a head last night in the town of Cornwall. The Order of the Phoenix, led by Albus Dumbledore attempted to once more forcibly remove Harry from his family. Dumbledore went so far as to openly admit that Harry must sacrifice his family. It was at this point that this point things degenerated into violence. _

_This time the Ministry took action, whisking Harry away to an unknown location while his brothers and Sirius Black held off the Order until they too could make their escape. Before they could make their escape, Albus Dumbledore was fatally wounded by Harry's older brother. _

_Amelia Bones, head of the DMLE, had already reviewed the evidence and determined that the death was fully justified. Specifically, she said that the parties in question were acting in self-defense and as Special Operatives had full authority to deal with the situation. _

_Yes, readers Harry Potter and his brothers are serving as Special Operatives. It is a little used position that gives great latitude the individual in the execution of their mission. They are accountable only to the head of the DMLE. _

_It is regrettable that Albus Dumbledore was killed but clearly based on this evidence the man had begun to sink into senility. While his contributions to our world will never be forgotten, his illegal actions cannot be overlooked or dismissed. So mourn dear readers for the loss of a great man and his fall from grace but be thankful he was stopped before he could harm our savior, the boy-who-lived. _

Amelia had never expected Rita to spin the story like this. She had given information to the vile woman in the hopes of at least rounding out the story from her usual muckraking style. But this was beyond all her expectations. Rita actually made it seem that Dumbledore was the criminal and Kevin's brother was nothing less than a hero. Hopefully, the three would not be upset by her naming them as Special Operatives. She did not think they would be since it protected them from prosecution, but she would find out for herself in 2 days time.

Her morning routine was disrupted when the door to her office. The move so startled Amelia that she whipped out her wand and stunned the intruder. When she had calmed down after a moment and examined her assailant she snorted in amusement. A quick _Enervate_ revived the annoying man.

Perched on the edge of her desk, she addressed the man in front of her as she struggled to his feet. "Cornelius I suggest you not barge into someone's office unannounced again. You never know what's going to happen."

Cornelius bristled and tried to brush dirt from his bottle green robes. "Amelia, why isn't this man in custody?" Cornelius asked, brandishing the latest edition of the Daily Prophet. "We can't let a crime like this go unpunished."

Amelia stayed where she was, leaning against her desk and refusing to offer Cornelius a seat. She knew he didn't care that Dumbledore was dead; the man probably was celebrating this morning. Now he was trying to score points with the public by going after Dumbledore's killer.

"I agree but don't you think that Dumbledore has been punished enough? He is dead after all."

Pacing angrily and occasionally throwing glares in her direction "You know very well that I was referring to the muggle responsible for his death. I don't care that he was this Special Operative. He deserves to be in Azkaban."

Amelia's smile grew broader "Cut the crap Cornelius. You don't care that Dumbledore is dead. In fact, his death just strengthens you political position."

"Yes, I'm happy the meddling fool is dead. That doesn't change the fact that a muggle was responsible for it. I will not let an insult like this pass unnoticed! I don't care if he is Harry Potter's brother."

"Well, then it is fortunate for him that he is immune from prosecution." She had spent some time researching the provisions of a Special Operative. The position was created by the International Confederation of Wizards during World War II to help fight against the forces of Grindewald.

"That's preposterous; I will have the law overturned within the day. How can you abide by this? Have you no pride?" With the muggle's arrest, he would not only cement in his own position with the public but he could also destroy Harry Potter in the public's eye before he ever became a threat.

"I don't think you will Cornelius." Amelia said sweetly. "The law was created passed by the IFW, only they can overturn it. Until they do, all Special Operatives are given full immunity for their actions."

Cornelius continued to bluster but Amelia remained steadfast in her position. In his usual manor, he attempted to threaten her using his position as Minister, forgetting that the DMLE was wholly independent and not under his authority. Even her position was elected so he could not have her fired. His only hope was to appeal to the IFW but that was not in session and given the evidence it was unlikely that they would act. Unlike the UK, most of the IFW was not prejudiced against muggles and had worked closely with them when the occasion merited it. So in the end, it was a very disgruntled Minister that left her office that morning but it had been entertaining for her so it wasn't a total loss.

**Feb 7th, 1999 **

**_St. Paul's Cathedral, London UK _**

Sirius and Connor were sitting in the kitchen eating lunch and chatting. There had been a debate earlier in the day about whether they should allow Lupin to know where they were staying. Sirius was inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt now that he had demonstrated that he did in fact use the brain he'd been given. The brothers on the other hand were firmly against it. Murphy and Kevin remembered well the first time that Lupin had kidnapped Kevin. Even if the man now understood why his actions were wrong, that didn't mean that they would trust him any time soon.

Connor had the paper open in front of him and was only vaguely paying attention to whatever Sirius was rambling on about. It was too bad Murphy or Kevin wasn't in the kitchen with them, they would at least be a distraction. He liked the man, he really did but lord did he go on at times. It was no wonder the man was a college professor with how in love he seemed to be with the sound of his own voice.

Sirius had just finally shut up to Connor's immense relief, of course it could also have been due to the simple fact that he was chewing at the moment so he wasn't capable of talking. The brief moment of silence was shattered by a thundering boom that echoed in the safe house and rattled the walls.

Both Sirius and Connor shot up from their chairs and began rushing in the direction of the explosion. They weren't the only ones; others from the Order of the Garter were also rushing towards the training room. It must have been the center of the explosion because smoke was rolling out through the doorway.

Connor had just skidded to a halt when Kevin crawled out of the room, covered in soot. Kevin looked up at Connor and muttered "Well, that didn't work quite like I expected." The he collapsed onto the floor unconscious.

Though Sirius and Connor couldn't find any evidence of injuries they still carried Kevin to the infirmary where he was checked out by the doctor. Somehow, Kevin had escaped whatever had happened relatively unscathed. The only thing found in the room was the mutilated remains of a pistol. Despite their curiosity, it seemed that the only one who would be able to shed some light on the explosion was Kevin.

A few hours later, Kevin groaned and rolled his head waking up slowly. When he finally was able to open his eyes, he was greeted to the sight of his worried brothers and godfather. He wasn't sure, but he thought he caught a small smile on Murphy's face. Fuck, he probably knows that I knocked myself out.

"So Kev, what happened? I heard from Connor that you ran into a spot of trouble." Murphy said good naturedly, there was something that told him that this wasn't an attack. For some reason he knew that this was something that Kevin did and if he was right, there was no way he was going to let Kevin get away without taking some major abuse.

Trying to act innocent, Kevin objected "Hey, what makes you think I had anything to do with it?"

Murphy smirked in victory "I never said you had something to do with it, I just asked what happened. What's wrong Kevin? What made you fall down and go boom?"

Kevin crossed his arms and refused to say anything. He closed his eyes, hoping that Murphy would go away and give him time to come up with a story.

"Not gonna work Kev. All you're doing is prolonging the inevitable. Wouldn't you much rather get it over with quickly, like pulling a band aid off. If you make me wait, it's just going to be more painful for you, but oh so much more fun for me."

Kevin just glared at Murphy who was now grinning broadly at him. In the end, Kevin gave up "Fine, it was my fault" He spat. "Are you happy now?"

Murphy never lost his grin, but he shook his head. "No, because you still haven't told us what you did." He finished patiently.

Now Kevin just looked sullen and he was trying to prepare himself mentally for the hell that was sure to come. "It's really your fault you know. I wouldn't have been trying this if it wasn't for you and Connor."

"Really, please enlighten me." Murphy's voice and body language was practically dripping with sarcasm.

"If you must know, I was using magic to enhance our bullets. I was trying to give them a more explosive kick so that they would be more effective against the shields the Death Eaters seem so fond of."

Murphy laughed knowingly and sat down in a chair looking totally relaxed and at ease. "Well, I would say you go the explosive part right, but I imagine the delivery system is a bit of a problem."

"No…" Kevin's voice faded when Murphy just held up the mangled remains of a Berretta. "Well, I may have miscalculated…a little."

Murphy saw it almost immediately, the problem with Kevin's plan. He admitted the idea was good and would probably work with a little adjustment. "You did whatever it was you did to the entire bullet didn't you, so it would explode on contact?"

"Duh?" Kevin answered maturely.

"God, how did you get into college? Did it occur to you, that the firing pin impacts the bullet while in the chamber?"

Now Kevin really was embarrassed. His blush answered Murphy's question for him. Murphy didn't even laugh at him which just made it worse. All he did was swat Kevin in the back of the head and mutter something about being a fucking idiot.

Murphy explained like he was talking to a child "Next time you try this I want to be there. And maybe this time, instead of using magic on the entire bullet, you will do the smart thing and focus solely on the slug. Then we might avoid any more these little accidents."

**Feb 9th, 1999 **

**_London UK _**

It was late in the day on Feb 9th, and the brothers were scheduled to meet with Amelia Bones and Kinsgley Shacklebolt at 6pm to discuss her proposal. Sirius had of course shown them the Daily Prophets and the ongoing debate about Dumbledore's and Connor's actions. It was amazing to them that so many people were willing to overlook Dumbledore's crimes because of who he was. It was not a problem unique to the wizarding world but it certainly seemed worse. Maybe it was because laws weren't so blatantly disregarded as they were in the wizarding world, manipulated or exploited certainly but not disregarded entirely.

Kevin and Murphy had been worried about Connor's reaction to the news. He was unphased by the whole thing which was unusual for him. Murphy in particular had expected Connor to be troubled not just by killing Dumbledore but by the public's reaction and cries for his incarceration. When he showed no reaction, they two had sat him down to talk about it. Connor told them the message that he had been given in their dream and that was why he was not so troubled by everything. It had taken a weight off of his shoulders and for that both Kevin and Murphy were grateful.

None of them were stupid enough to miss the reference to them as Special Operatives. While they resented the presumptions that Amelia Bones was making, they couldn't deny the benefit of being immune to prosecution, especially given the recent track record of the wizarding world in regards to dispensing justice.

Thus, they found themselves meeting in an out of the way restaurant of the beaten path in downtown London. It was decided that the three of them would go with Sirius waiting nearby should something happened. The Weasley brothers were also around as well. It wouldn't hurt to have backup if it should be needed. There was little doubt that Amelia had some similar safety precautions in place.

When the three brothers arrived, Kevin noticed that both Amelia and Kingsley were already seated so he led his brothers over to the table. A waiter came over to take their drink orders once they were seated. After their drinks were delivered and dinner was ordered Amelia wasted little time on small talk preferring to jump right to the heart of the conversation.

"After dinner, I would like to get a copy of your memory of the events that night when you were forced to shoot Albus Dumbledore in self defense. I would also like a written statement describing what went on." Amelia said it would be used to further strengthen any defense should the situation ever be brought before the IFW.

"Are just ours enough or will you need one from Sirius Black as well?" Kevin asked.

"No, the three of you should be sufficient. I also have memories and statements from Kingsley and Alastor Moody. The evidence against Dumbledore is irrefutable given the number of perspectives." She looked at Connor then and said "That being said, many people hold an almost fanatic view of Albus Dumbledore and despite the evidence they won't put any blame on him."

Connor just nodded in understanding.

"It doesn't really matter; we have no intention of staying in the wizarding world or even the UK once Voldemort is dead." Kevin said bluntly.

For once, Amelia was taken by surprise. It never occurred to her that Kevin would leave. If he hadn't intended to stay, why come over in the first place. "Then why fight against Voldemort? Why help at all?"

"We have personal reasons for what we are doing." Was Kevin's enigmatic response.

"I must say, it will be a shame to see you leave but I could understand your position. We do not exactly represent the best and brightest much to my shame."

Murphy decided to steer the discussion back to more important matters. "So where do we go from here? It would have been impossible to avoid the position you gave us and it's not that we aren't grateful for but nothing comes for free."

"That all depends on you three. Whether you are the Saints or not, really doesn't matter. Your presence at Yaxley Manor is enough to tell me that you are interested in taking action where others aren't. That being said, I'm not looking to make soldiers in my personal army."

"Perhaps it would help if you explained what exactly a Special Operative is?" Kingsley suggested the first thing he had said since their introductions.

After seeing nods of agreement from each of the brothers, Amelia went into the history of the Special Operative, the role they played in World War II and afterwards, and finally she described the their authority and mission structure.

"You would nominally be working for me under the basic premise of eliminating Voldemort. Beyond that, how you execute on that mission is largely up to you. All I would ask is that you keep me apprised of your plans."

Connor summed it up "So you want us to help you take down Voldemort and his Death Eaters and in return we get immunity. So essentially things just continue on as they have been, with no real change."

"Not entirely, I would like to include an Auror as an observer. That way, if you run into trouble, there is a way to contact me and get reinforcements."

"Who would this observer be? How do we know it isn't someone that would be happy to see something happen to Connor?" Murphy asked.

"Unless there are objections, I thought that Kingsley would be the observer. I have full confidence in his loyalty and he is an experienced Auror."

The three brothers spent some time talking things over, going through the pros and cons of the situation. What it came down to was that the protection and backup offered by Amelia far outweighed any risk of exposure. In the end, they agreed to Amelia's terms with the stipulation that Sirius, Bill and Charlie were also names Special Operatives since they were equally involved.

After dinner was over and they were preparing to leave, Amelia asked a final question. "Have you decided who your next target is going to be?"

"Evan Rosier."


	15. Sacrifices

A/N: I do not own Harry Potter & Co. or The Boondock Saints.

**Chapter 15: Sacrifices **

**Feb 9th, 1999 **

**_London UK _**

Following their meeting with Kevin and his brothers, Amelia and Kingsley prepared to meet with another potential ally. The man had served for a long time as an Auror bringing in many Death Eaters during his long career and often paying a high price in damage to himself as well as the eventual loss of his family to revenge attacks.

Alastor Moody had indeed served the cause of the light for a long time and despite his many personal losses, he couldn't entirely regret his decision to live the life he had chosen. That is not to say that he didn't miss and regret the loss of his family every day but instead he used their deaths as motivation to continue the fight even after he was eventually forced to retire from active duty.

It was when he was forced to retire that he was first approached by the Order of Garter and awarded the honor of membership. The Order gave Alastor a sense of purpose again after leaving the DMLE. He found that the Order of the Garter looked beyond the traditional boundaries of the wizarding world and monitored the state of affairs in both worlds. This was a unique learning experience for Alastor who had long disregarded muggles even if not being prejudiced against them.

During his service with the Order of the Garter, his perspective on Albus Dumbledore and the man's actions began to change. Never one to follow blindly, Alastor had always observed Albus' actions and justifications with a somewhat jaundiced eye. With his broader perspective of the world, he found it harder to overlook the justification of the 'greater good.' The realization that Albus in his own way was as much of a threat to the wizarding world as Voldemort or any other dark lord was a sad one. But, he couldn't ignore the evidence and in his role as a member of both the Order of the Phoenix and the Order of the Garter, he began to spy in the hopes of mitigating some of the damage that Albus was capable of doing in the name of the 'greater good.'

His actions in both Orders were the cause of his current situation. A meeting had been scheduled with Amelia Bones to discuss the recent death of Dumbledore and he was prepared to come forward with further evidence of wrong doing. What he was not prepared for was the sight of Kingsley Shacklebolt standing by Amelia Bones' side during the meeting.

After the normal pleasantries were dispensed with, Amelia noticed that Alastor was staring at Kingsley suspiciously. Until she knew where the man stood with the Order of the Phoenix she would not reveal his role as a spy for her.

"Alastor, what can I do for you this fine morning?" Amelia asked pleasantly enough. Secretly, she was amused that the man refused to sit down even though both she and Kingsley were seated. In fact, he was standing in such a way that would prevent virtually anyone from sneaking up on him. Obviously he had lost none of his famed paranoia over the years.

"Madame Bones…" He began formally "I would like to provide further evidence supporting Connor MacManus. I believe that you can use it to hopefully calm the public down and move them past the death of Dumbledore and back towards the fight against Voldemort."

It was an unexpected offer. Despite the fact that Alastor would have understood the privileges afforded a Special Operative, she had expected the man to ask to personally be involved in some sort of misguided hunt for vengeance. "I must say I'm surprised. I would've expected you to have the opposite reaction to Dumbledore's death."

Alastor smiled grimly "I think you will understand after viewing the memory."

It was but a few moments wait for a pensieve to be brought to Amelia's office. Once it was set up on her desk, Alastor extracted the relevant memories of the battle as well as some Order meetings and deposited them into the pensieve. Together the three watched the memories unfold. The meetings did not really provide too much information that Amelia didn't already have, it simply filled in a few holes or provided and additional perspective. It was the memory of the battle that was the most surprising.

"You rescued Connor MacManus? Why would you betray the Albus? I thought you were his staunchest supporter? And for Merlin's sake, sit down man! We aren't going to attack you." Amelia asked amazed.

The retired Auror finally relented and sat roughly in the available chair. Though he did sit at the edge, ready to jump up at the slightest provocation.

Alastor wasn't looking at Amelia; instead he was studying the reaction of Kingsley Shacklebolt. Rather than looking betrayed or disgusted with his actions, Kingsley simply looked surprised which told Alastor enough. This man was no longer an ardent supporter of Dumbledore either. "It is interesting Kingsley that you weren't there that night. Given the messages I still receive from the Order I know that they don't have Kevin in their control. So I can assume one of two things, either he apparated on his own which seems unlikely given that his brothers and god father were still at risk or a third party spirited him away to safety."

Alastor nodded approvingly when neither Amelia nor Kingsley showed any reaction to his accusation. "I was more concerned that Albus would turn Kevin MacManus against us than following any of his plans. For years now, the man has been obsessed with the boy and some bizarre belief that Kevin owes the wizarding world a debt. The only reason I stayed in the Order was to mitigate any damage that Albus might do to our world." While he was fairly certain of Kingsley's loyalties, he could not betray the Order of the Garter. Even if he did fully trust them, he would not disclose the existence of the Order; they simply did not need to know.

"Alastor, you're becoming less circumspect in your old age. Yes, I had a hand in Kevin's brief disappearance. Like you I had concerns about the Dumbledore's plans and would not let him break the law so blatantly." Amelia had no reason to doubt Alastor, but a secret was more secure the fewer people who knew it. So she would not disclose Kingsley's role in the affair even though the grizzled Auror had already guessed most of it.

"So what can I do to help?"

Amelia did not need to consider the offer for more than a few seconds. After the meeting with Kevin and his brothers she had decided to form a contingency to make sure they were overwhelmed unexpectedly. "It's funny you should ask that. Originally, I had planned to ask Kingsley to organize this but the two of you working together will provide a greater pool of resources to draw from."

For the first time since the meeting had begun Kingsley said something "What are you asking us to do? What pool of resources are you referring to?" Privately, he was dreading the interrogation he was likely to get from Alastor once they were in private.

"I have every confidence in the abilities of Kevin and his brothers. I believe their results speak for themselves, but I do not want to see them get in over their head. It is only a matter of time before they come across a force that is too large for them to handle on their own. That is why I insisted that you be on hand to observe. You and Alastor are going to form an emergency response team."

"Why do you need me for this?" Alastor asked bluntly.

"Kingsley can screen the active Aurors to pick the ones to be a member of this team. I want you to reach out to the retired Aurors who like yourself were forced to retire or feel disenfranchised because of the direction the Ministry has taken these past years."

"If you're serious about doing this, you're going to need some serious screening prior to accepting anyone. Especially with the fact that Connor killed Dumbledore, there are a lot of pissed of witches and wizards that won't care that Connor is a Special Operative or that Dumbledore was not the kindly old man people thought him to be."

"I agree Madame Bones." Kingsley began formally "We should make sure that none of the team members are part of the Order of the Phoenix. I don't think we could trust them to be of the same mindset as Moody here."

"What else?"

Moody added after some thought "It's not strictly legal, but I would use Veritaserum on every potential member. Make sure they are not sympathizers of either Voldemort or Dumbledore. In fact, their first loyalty should be to the DMLE."

Kingsley grimaced at the idea. He hated to question the loyalty of his fellow Aurors, but this was too important to leave to chance or blind trust.

Amelia, while not quite as squeamish as Kingsley on the matter wasn't a fan of potion induced questioning either. Still she agreed with Alastor that the precaution, while odious, was necessary.

"I want it made clear that other than you and Alastor, the rest of the team is never to know where Kevin and his brothers will be operating unless there is an emergency. I will not expose them more than necessary."

Now that the base was laid down, practical questions began to come up. "How long do we have? Do you know when they plan to attack their next target?"

"It will be a few weeks at least I suspect. One of the brothers was injured and will need time to heal. I offered them the use of a healer but all three promptly refused. For some reason, I don't think they entirely trust me." Amelia finished with an amused smile on her face.

"Did they mention who their next target was? So far they seem to have focused on the members of Voldemort's inner circle. They've done a pretty good job of whittling them down too?"

"Kevin mentioned that Evan Rosier was next on their list."

Leaning forward in his chair, Alastor asked his final question "What are you doing in all of this? I assume you are not resting the entire defeat of Voldemort and his forces on the shoulders of three young men."

Amelia bristled momentarily before forcibly relaxing her body. It was a fair question after all and it wouldn't be out of character for the Ministry in general. "No, we have increased security at Diagon Alley and other probable locations for attack. Other teams have been formed as a sort of rapid response team to take down the Death Eaters wherever they appear. We simply don't have the support to go on a full offensive though. So for now, we are on a more defensive footing but the Aurors have orders to fight back with prejudice."

**Feb 13th, 1999 **

**_Rosier Manor, Wales UK _**

Evan Rosier was a nervous man. He had thought that consolidating his power within Voldemort's inner circle would only increase his security but he had found the reality to be far different. Instead, he was faced with the drooling idiot Lestrange, whose mind had been destroyed as an ever present reminder of the price of failure.

Today was no different, another three long time Death Eaters had disappeared. Luckily it did not appear that they had been arrested by the Ministry as there had been nothing in the Daily Prophet. This meant that the families could still access their vaults at Gringott's and provide funds to Voldemort. If they were not arrested, Evan couldn't help but wonder if they had found a way to escape from the grasp of their lord.

While eating breakfast, Evan was reviewing the little information he had been able to gather on their disappearance as well as the notes for the charm he had created to track the location of a Death Eater. It should be enough to allow Voldemort to zero in on any Death Eater that was being attacked and provide assistance. The charm itself was just a variation of the locator charm and was extremely easy to cast.

Evan's breakfast was interrupted by the abrupt arrival of Voldemort with an almost silent crack from apparition. Hastily scrambling to his feet, Evan stuttered out "My lord, it is an honor to have you here in my home."

Voldemort said nothing and proceeded to slowly glide around the dining room, taking in the littlest details such as the grain of the dark mahogany wood paneling, the various candle and lamp fixtures on the wall, even the pattern in the fabric covering the chairs. During his examination, Evan began to grow increasingly nervous; it was like he was waiting for the axe to fall.

Finally, Voldemort turned his attention back to Evan "What do you have to report Rosier?"

Still nervous and now sweating slightly, Evan knelt down in front of Voldemort and gave his report "Maxwell, Jugson and Kellerman have disappeared. There has been nothing in the Daily Prophet and our contacts in the DMLE confirm that they have not been arrested. So either they have been killed which seems unlikely because the bodies of the other Death Eaters have always been left somewhere public to be found or they have run."

Voldemort let the tip of his wand trail across the table. Power seemed to leak from it leaving a smoking furrow behind it. Uncaring of the damage he was causing, Voldemort glared at Evan for a moment before hissing out "They tried to run. You were correct, the traitors are indeed dead but not because of the Ministry or these mysterious assailants. I killed them for having the audacity to think they could possibly escape my reach."

"But how?" He couldn't help but ask.

Voldemort didn't bother to hide his smirk. It would only serve as another lesson to Rosier and the rest of his Death Eaters. "I would have thought it obvious. Through the dark marks you have all willingly taken, I can cast virtually any spell. If I wanted to I could stop the hearts of every Death Eater. Service to me is permanent; there is no changing your mind, no finding your way back to the light."

"What have you come up with for an alert system?"

Swallowing nervously, Evan described his research "My lord I have created a variation of the locator charm that any Death Eater should be able to cast on their dark mark. It will not only signal you that they are under attack but because it was based on the locator spell, it will provide you with their exact location."

"Ahh, so we will have a surprise for our mysterious attackers the next time. That is excellent news Rosier. I plan to crush all resistance to me. When they next dare to attack, I will personally crush the attackers and leave the ruined bodies on display in Diagon Alley for all to see. Let the wizarding world despair when there are none left to stand up for them."

"My lord, why have we not taken advantage of Dumbledore's death? Who could possibly stand up to your might now?"

"Are you suggesting that Dumbledore was a match for me before?" Voldemort asked in a deceptively pleasant voice.

"No…no…no…I did not mean to imply anything of the sort." Evan stammered. "Dumbledore was never a threat to you; he was only a nuisance nothing more. But without him to marshal the forces of the light, surely we can roll over any resistance."

Voldemort turned his back on Rosier and moved over to a chair. Sneering disdainfully down at the delicate wood carvings on the back and legs, he transfigured it into a solid black stone chair covered in carvings depicting the torture and killing of men and animals. Once he was seated comfortably, he gazed imperiously at Rosier "The longer we wait to attack, the more their fear will grow. Without Dumbledore there is no threat to our forces and the public knows that. Every morning they wake up expecting to hear of death of torture only to find none, all the while the axe continues to grow in their minds, waiting to drop and end their pitiful existence."

"Will we attack the Ministry my lord? The Order no longer seems like a worthwhile target."

Voldemort nodded in approval. "Yes, the Ministry or specifically the DMLE is our only real opposition with Dumbledore out of the way. This is an attack that I will plan personally, there can be no mistakes made. Only a miracle could save the DMLE but should that happen we have a new icon for the wizarding world to rally behind."

"Of course my lord, I look forward to the day when you take your rightful place atop our world. With you leading us, we will take our rightful place as leader of both worlds."

Now Voldemort stood once more, looming over Evan. Staring down shrewdly he warned Evan "Do not presume to raise yourself too high Evan. Remember the example set for you by Lestrange. His reach was greater than his grasp as well. You service and life continues solely by me will and that will not change. It is I that will rule the world not you."

"I apologize my lord; I did not mean to presume above my station." Evan hastily replied, just hoping that he could avoid punishment.

"See that you don't!" Voldemort replied sharply before apparating away.

Evan continued to kneel on the floor for another few minutes while he collected himself and recovered from Voldemort's unexpected visit. Clearly, Voldemort also wanted to deliver a message that there was no escape from his service. What truly frightened him though was the implications should Voldemort die. If the dark marks were so connected to Voldemort that he could use them to kill his followers, what would happen should he be somehow killed.

**Feb 20th, 1999 **

**_St. Paul's Cathedral, London UK _**

The kitchen in the safe house of the Order of the Garter was more crowded than usual. The table had been expanded to provide room for Bill and Charlie Weasley, in addition to Sirius and the brothers. The group was meeting to review preparation for their assault on Evan Rosier's manor in Wales. After the debacle in Yaxley manor, they were taking additional time to plan out things out and prepare for contingencies.

Kevin looked around the group and asked "How go the preparations?"

Bill, Charlie and Sirius had been primarily responsible for the current preparations. For the last few nights, they had been apparating near the manor and coating portions of the grounds in a homemade blend of napalm. In order to cover any smell, they were covering the coated areas with charms. Each night so far, there had been no sign that the napalm had been discovered.

After getting the update from Bill, Kevin updated everyone on the status of his efforts. Since his first embarrassing foray into using magic to improve their ammunition, he and Murphy had been able to perfect the process. So now, more than a week later, he had enhanced almost all of their ammunition. He had begun the process early despite the risk because it took a fair amount of time and energy to permanently enhance the slugs.

"I'd be more comfortable if we go in another couple of day's time. It will give Murphy a little extra time to heal up and we can get more of the grounds coated in napalm." Connor said.

There was no real dissent and the group decided that a night out was in order. Given the stakes of the situation, you had to have fun and relax whenever possible. It was no surprise to Sirius, Connor and Murphy when Kevin disappeared shortly after reaching the bar. After having the obligatory bar, Kevin made a hasty exit to meet up with Caitlin.

It took a few beers for Charlie to notice that Kevin wasn't around "Where did Kevin go?"

Bill lifted his head up to look around, his eyes bleary "Yeah…" He said before laying his head back down on the table.

Charlie rolled his eyes at his brother "He never could hold his liquor."

Murphy got back to the table with another round for everyone. Connor finally got around to answering Charlie after taking a long drink from his beer. "Kev is no doubt spending some quality time with a Miss Caitlin O'Connell."

"Who?"

"His girlfriend."

"He's a little young for that isn't he?" Charlie asked

Sirius puffed up, feeling vindicated finally. "See, I'm not the only one."

Murphy snorted into his beer "No it just means that you're all prudes."

**Feb 22th, 1999 **

**_Rosier Manor, Wales UK _**

This whole thing was fucked from the get go, Kevin couldn't help but think. Almost as soon as they had arrived, a party of close to 20 Death Eaters emerged from hiding and began attacking. Obviously their work had not gone unnoticed the previous nights. The Death Eaters were not far enough away from the manor yet to try the napalm. Hopefully they had ignored it as a muggle tactic.

Kingsley raised the signal, calling in for the emergency response team as soon as he realized how many Death Eaters there were. Luckily, there was still a good bit of distance between the Death Eaters and Kevin's group. Dispelling his disillusionment charm, he moved up to join them, it was clear they were going to need all the help they could get.

Connor and Kevin were fighting back to back. Golden wisps of light swirled around them intercepting incoming spells. "It time to give them a little surprise." Kevin shouted over the din of the battle.

Shots were fired by both brothers. The Death Eaters having raised shields already were unprepared for the explosions that followed. Shields shattered and the blast wave translated through what was left. Nearby Death Eaters lost their footing and crashed to the ground. Before either could fire another shot, the two brothers separated dodging another barrage of spells.

Bill and Charlie were scrambling, desperate to avoid the killing curses flying their way when they were joined by Kingsley. "Aurors are on their way." He called out. "We just have to hold out. Back off until they get here."

A trio of blasting curses flew from their wands. Immediately after, they retreated further from the main force, drawing the Death Eaters forward.

Sirius and Murphy had already retreated and were providing cover fire. The Death Eaters had almost advanced to the line of napalm when two more parties arrived.

First to arrive on the scene was the emergency response team lead by Alastor Moody. He along with close to 15 Aurors was enough to start pushing the Death Eaters back towards the manor. Unfortunately, it also pushed them away from the napalm.

Despite the intense fighting, there were only a handful of casualties on either side. Just when it seemed that the tide of the battle had turned, Voldemort arrived with the remaining Death Eaters. His mere presence was enough to cause his forces to surge forward. An almost solid wave of green light flew from the Death Eater's wands, wiping out half the Auror force.

"Fall back!" Moody called out as the Death Eaters and Voldemort rapidly advanced.

Kevin and Connor broke away and stepped forward firing rapidly. The explosions from their shots took out three Death eaters that had been focused on the Aurors. Kevin could feel that this was it; this was the confrontation he had been destined to fight.

Voldemort turned at the sound of the explosions and caught sight of Kevin and Connor. With a satisfied grin, he moved forward, absently deflecting spells with his wand. "Harry Potter how kind of you to deliver yourself to me. Once you're dead there will be nothing to stand in my way."

Kevin grinned widely "Yeah well, you know what they do to rabid dogs don't you? They put them down permanently." He fired again, one of the last rounds in his clip.

The slug exploded on impact but it wasn't aimed at Voldemort but rather his feet. The explosion ignited the napalm setting off a massive blast. A wave of fire shot along the earth, scorching everything in its path. The wave of heat knocked the combatants off their feet. The bulk of the Death Eaters were caught in the resultant fireball having followed on the heels of Voldemort's advance.

The screams lasted for no more than mere seconds before they faded away. The intense heat of the flames incinerated the Death Eaters in moments.

Voldemort was a different though. He emerged from the flames, naked, skin blackened and peeling away from his body. Before Connor or Kevin had a chance to regain their feet, Voldemort was standing next to Connor and Kevin froze when he took in the sight.

Despite the condition of his body, Voldemort's voice was as strong and cruel sounding as ever. He held his wand against Connor's neck. "You're going to watch as I kill each of your brothers. Only then, when you are broken at my feet will I rip the life from your body." He laughed coldly at the look of horror on Kevin's face. "Yes Harry, you will die knowing that if it wasn't for you, they would have had long happy lives."

Kevin was on his knees "No…kill me, take my life. Just leave my brothers alone." He pleaded with Voldemort. In his head, Kevin was whispering entreaties to God. Please God, take me let my brothers live. They've done nothing to deserve this. Just please, I'd give myself over to you if only to save them.

"Why would I do that when I can have both? You are in no position to bargain and I'm not feeling particularly generous."

"Because I would willingly give up my life to save theirs. You would win knowing that your enemy gave up their life for you."

Everything around Kevin began to slow down and fade away into blackness. He whipped his head around looking for some clue as to what was going on. Did Voldemort do something? If not, what was going on? The manor and battle torn grounds were gone. All the Death Eaters, Aurors, his brothers, even Voldemort were gone.

When he could see again, Kevin found himself inside the familiar cathedral of his dreams but there were no angels to greet him this time. Instead he simply felt an overwhelming presence that filled him with such a strong feeling of hope and love that he was almost overwhelmed. Kevin fell to his knees, tears trickling from his eyes as for the first time he truly understood how much God loved him and all his creations.

A great voice spoke to him, coming from everywhere in the cathedral "Are you truly willing to give up your mortal existence my child in order to spare the lives of your brothers?" There was no recrimination in the voice; it was a simple question asking after his true desire.

"Yes Lord. I would happily give up my life in the hopes that I could spare my brothers from this fate." Kevin answered from his heart. It never occurred to him to lie. The very idea of it seemed wrong.

"And what of your brothers? Will they not feel the pain of your passing?"

Again Kevin answered quickly, there was no thought or consideration necessary. This was a sacrifice that he was willing to make. "Yes they will be sad and upset but I know that it is nothing less than either one of them would do for me. But here in this place, this time it is I who have to make the sacrifice and I do it willingly."

A new emotion wrapped itself around Kevin, it was pride. "Well done my child. You have learned so much in your short time on Earth. Your love for your family is something you will always cherish and will give you insight in the future. But I cannot accept you sacrifice."

Confused, hurt and disappointed Kevin begged "Please Lord let me do this for them. I have no regrets or doubt that this is the right thing to do."

"You have come so far my child. While I cannot accept your sacrifice, I can unlock what has been concealed from you."

Kevin felt something shift within him. Flashes of long buried memories shot across his consciousness and he felt a power suffuse his entire being. It was like he was complete for the first time, like a part of his very being was returned to him. And with that sense of completeness came knowledge, power, and an understanding of his role in the God's plan.

"Now you understand my child. Know that I'm so very proud of you and will welcome you back once your time on the mortal plane is done."

Kevin felt a joy so powerful it was painful. To know that God was proud of him…

A hand grasped his shoulder making him look up. Standing next to him was Michael. "Go my brother, you have what you need to finish this."

Kevin was still confused and trying to make sense out of the memories that were bouncing around in his head. He knew one thing for certain though. He looked up at Michael, his eyes filled with gratitude "Thank you Michael, whatever may happen in the future…"

"You are stronger now than you have ever been, you will not falter. If you do, I will be there to pick you up again."

Only a second had passed since Kevin had been pleading with Voldemort. The surviving Aurors, Murphy, Connor, Sirius and the others watched in horror as Kevin begged Voldemort to spare them in return for his own life.

Voldemort hadn't even responded yet when Kevin stood. There was something different about him. Some of the differences were obvious. His entire being radiated a soft golden light. Others were only evident in the way he stood before his foe. Calm, confident, accepting of what was to come.

"Thomas Marvolo Riddle, in the name of our Lord and God I find you unworthy. It is my sad duty to condemn your soul to hell, forever removed from God's radiance."

Despite himself, Voldemort was a little unnerved by Kevin's change in attitude and demeanor. He sneered "God is powerless; he holds no sway over me."

"You are wrong and today justice will be served for all those that have perished because of your hatred." With a casual swing of his arm, Connor was wrenched from Voldemort's grasp and flew through the air to land at Murphy's feet with a soft grunt.

Another wave of his hand and a translucent golden dome spun into existence over them.

"Pretty tricks won't save you this time. Your parents aren't here to give their lives to protect you. Tonight you will die as you should have all those years ago!" Voldemort spat trying to shake the annoying calm that had taken over Kevin. "_Avada Kedavra_!"

Kevin rolled out of the way of the sickly green spell, moving closer to Voldemort in the process.

The spell splashed harmlessly against the dome, shocking Voldemort for a second before he unleashed a string of spells that kept Kevin dancing, preventing him from attacking. Blinded by both his hate and lust for revenge, Voldemort never noticed that with each dodge, Kevin moved closer to him.

Kevin saw his chance when Voldemort paused to take a breath. Moving with great speed, he crossed the remaining distance and stood behind Voldemort, his hands gripping the man's head tightly.

Voldemort thrashed and jerked his head from side to side trying to escape the Kevin's grasp. With Kevin behind him, he was unable to hit him with any spells. Even apparition wasn't working.

In a booming voice that was easily heard by those outside the dome Kevin called out "God, I beseech thee to cast out this unclean spirit." His hands began to emit a pure silver light. It washed over Voldemort's entire form making the man gasp in pain.

"Purge this vessel of evil." The dome faded and the silver light was spread over everyone in the field. Those fighting on the side of the light were flooded with hope for the future and a vision of peace. The Death Eaters felt dread. Dread for what awaited them at the end of their existence.

"Release this soul from its mortal coil and deliver your judgment!"

Voldemort's scream seemed to fade away as if coming from a great distance when his soul was torn from his body, leaving behind nothing more than a lifeless husk that began to decay. While the black soul that was Voldemort had been tethered to his body by his magic, God's judgment would not be denied. When Voldemort's body crumbled to dust, at last releasing his soul, Kevin screamed in pain as his scar flared and the connection to Voldemort was severed. His cry was filled with such torment that no one could move. Rooted to the spot, they could only watch in stunned silence as he collapsed, clutching his head and writhing in pain.

After what seemed like an eternity, Kevin fell silent and lay unmoving on the ground. The others stood around trying to make sense of what they had seen and heard. No one dared to move, afraid to learn that Kevin could be dead.

Gasps were heard from both the Death Eaters and the other survivors when Kevin's body lifted off the ground. Slowly a pair of arms appeared cradling Kevin, followed by the body and blazing wings of Michael, the archangel. Other angels appeared in the sky hovering silently, observing the scene with expressions of mourning. More and more angels appeared until the night sky was lit up bright as day by the golden radiance of the heavenly host.

Together the host sung a song of lament for their fallen comrade. None present would ever be able to describe the unearthly perfection of the music heard that night. Many would be haunted for all their remaining days and filled with a need to recreate the music no mere mortal could ever produce. So consumed were they by the feelings of loss and sorrow engendered by the music that many nearly missed hearing Michael say softly "It's time for you to come home. It's time for you to rest." His wings flared out to either side of him and Michael rose into the sky. Together, he and the Heavenly Host faded from view, along with Kevin.

With the angels gone the song of lament faded as well and silence once again reigned.

When a muggle-born joined the wizarding world, any religion that they followed was usually forsaken. Now with the evidence before them, the witches and wizards present, be they Auror or Death Eater struggled to find meaning for what they had been witness to. And they couldn't help but wonder and worry how God would judge their actions and their world.

With the angels gone, an angry red-orange glow began to wash over the survivors. Waves of anger were sweeping over them washing away the sadness and peace that had been felt earlier. Their minds were filled with images of torture, sooty red flames scouring cavern walls, boiling lakes covered in fire, and souls in eternal torment. They could almost hear the screams and pleas for mercy echoing forever in the dark caverns. Above it all could be heard the cold cruel laughter of shadowy figures that seemed to be nightmares come to life twisted and distorted by their own hatred and lust for power.

Murphy was mercifully broken from these visions when he felt Connor rise to his feet and stalk forward towards the Death Eaters. Each step was measured and ponderous. It was then that Murphy noticed that the glow was coming from Connor, rippling away from him like water in a pond. For the first time in his life, the sight of his brother filled him with fear. Murphy wasn't afraid of his brother, but terrified for him and the fate of his soul.

In the silence, all those around him heard Murphy whisper "And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death. And Hell followed with him."


	16. Revelations

A/N: I do not own Harry Potter & Co. or The Boondock Saints.

A/N 1: I'm not totally happy with this chapter but the title says it all. Only one more to go after this.

**Chapter 16: Revelations **

**Feb 23****rd****, 1999 – 2am**

_**Kensington, London UK**_

A pure white light appeared and began to grow in strength in the brothers' apartment. Anyone looking would have seen a blinding light that for all its painful intensity filled them with a feeling of peace. A moment later the light faded leaving behind two figures, one a strong powerful man with radiant wings sprouting from his back, the second figure was cradled in his arms.

Navigating the apartment with ease Michael carried Kevin into his bedroom and carefully laid him down on the bed. After searching Kevin for any injuries, Michael was content in the knowledge that his brother was safe and merely exhausted. The combination of the battle and the severing of his bond with Voldemort along with the release of his memories had exhausted him.

Now that he knew his brother was safe and relatively unharmed Michael felt a little regret for departing as he had. It had probably sent the wrong message. Still, there was nothing to be done now, so Michael stood vigil over Kevin waiting for him to wake up recalling the earlier events. Quickly the remorse passed and the mischievous side of his personality couldn't help but smile at the surprise on Connor's and Murphy's faces when they realized that Kevin was not dead. Not that he had tried to intentionally trick them or anything but the lament song by the Heavenly Host was not for Kevin's death but for the actions he was forced to take. Not since before the time of Christ had one of his brothers or sisters been forced to take the life of a mortal, even if it was God's judgment that was ultimately responsible.

_**Rosier Manor, Wales UK – 2am**_

The Death Eaters that were still alive quickly realized that they may not have escaped death after all. Normally, they would have dismissed a muggle as being powerless before them, but Connor was radiating power unlike any they had seen before. For the first time, they truly understood the fear they sought to instill in the wizarding world.

Connor stalked forward slowly the grass smoldered and blackened with each step. He was enjoying the fear and terror that his approach was causing. A fire burned in his eyes that promised pain and suffering for the Death Eaters. These people would pay for taking his brother from him. They would be made to suffer for it. Death would not be quick in coming either, before he was done with them, each Death Eater would be begging him to die just to escape his punishment.

It was only the sight of one of the Death Eaters going to his knees begging for mercy that brought Murphy to his senses. "Connor don't!" He said forcefully.

Everyone else seemed to be stunned by what was occurring before their eyes. None of the other wizards or witches present dared to move for fear of attracting Connor's attention.

Connor ignored his brother and came to halt in front of the Death Eaters. The angry reddish-orange glow began to flare even brighter and heat was rolling off him in waves. The nearest Death Eater threw up his hands to protect his face only to begin screaming as the exposed skin of his hands began to redden and blister from the heat pouring off of Connor.

Before his brother could do anything he would regret, Murphy ordered loudly in a voice that could not be ignored "Connor, I said stop!"

This time Connor reacted. He pivoted on one heel, spinning to face Murphy, directing his anger and pain at his brother.

The Death Eaters now behind him tried to break and run only to find their feet rooted to the earth, unable to move. More than one began to sob in fear while struggling to free themselves.

Murphy had to forcibly stop himself from stepping back. It wasn't the anger that upset him. That was easy enough to deal with. He could see the overwhelming anguish in every facet of Connor's being. It only served to reinforce his own feelings on Kevin's death. For a moment, he wanted to give in and let Connor destroy these men, the ones that were most responsible since he couldn't kill Voldemort. If he was honest with himself, he wanted to punish the whole damn wizarding world for making Kevin do something that should never have been his responsibility.

Shaking his head in the negative, he just couldn't do it. Murphy couldn't let Connor go down that path. He, Kevin and Connor had spent too long serving the will of God, delivering his judgment. The idea of Connor someday being hunted down because of his actions was enough to push Murphy past his own grief. Kevin wouldn't want Connor to lose himself this way and he knew that Connor would never recover if he acted on his rage and grief. There was no doubt in Murphy's mind, Connor's future in this life and the next rested with him.

_**Kensington, London UK – 5am**_

Michael had been standing guard over Kevin for close to three hours when he heard Kevin return to consciousness.

"Unnnhhh…" Kevin moaned softly as he sluggishly blinked his eyes.

"Very eloquent." Michael commented wryly.

"Mmmm…Where am I?" Kevin asked groggily, his eyes closed again.

Moving to stand closer to the bed, Michael answered "You're home."

Kevin's eyes snapped open and he looked around. Confused he asked "Am I dead? If so, this isn't what I expected Heaven to be like."

Michael laughed loudly. "No you're not dead, not yet at any rate."

"I hope this isn't going to be one of those clichés where I get to choose whether stay here or return to Earth. Because that is so overdone." Kevin said blandly. He was feeling better by the second. His body was sore and tired but that seemed to be the worst of things.

"No, I am afraid you will have to do without the cliché, you are very much alive."

Kevin rolled onto his side, propping his head up his head as he looked at Michael. "Then why am I here? I assume this is our apartment, why not the safe house. Where are Connor and Murphy?"

Michael sighed "As I said, you're home, that is why we are here. The reason I'm here is because you need someone to help you to piece together the memories that have been unlocked. You need to understand the truth of who you are. For that we needed a private location and the safe house would not have afforded us that privacy." He ignored Kevin's final question preferring to avoid a lecture for leaving the two men in such a manner.

Michael left the room for a moment and came back with a stool from the kitchen.

After watching Michael arrange himself on the stool, Kevin's eyes closed in dread for a moment and he commented "Why do I get the feeling that I'm not going to like this? Who exactly am I Michael?"

_**Rosier Manor, Wales UK – 2am**_

Sirius moved up to stand next to Murphy, the only person brave enough to do so. The look on Connor's face was such that Sirius was afraid even for Murphy. If anyone had asked him before, he would have said that there was no way that any of the three brothers would ever hurt each other. Now, looking at Connor, Sirius wasn't sure.

Murphy caught Sirius' approach just out of the corner of his eye. "Sirius, no offense but back the fuck off! This is between Connor and me."

Connor just stared at Murphy, pleading with him. All the pain and anger from Kevin's death was pleading for an outlet. There was no better outlet then the bastards that had been helping Voldemort. "Please Murphy we can do it together."

Murphy wanted so badly to give in to his own grief. It was almost enough to bring him to his knees, but he couldn't do it. Connor needed him and Kevin would make him suffer in the afterlife if he didn't stop Connor from damning himself.

"No Connor we can't and I won't let you do it alone either." Murphy said resolutely while moving closer to Connor.

Whatever power Connor had somehow tapped into flared again. The heat coming off him was enough to scorch the grass at his feet. Everyone but Murphy stepped further away to escape from the heat and hopefully avoid getting caught in whatever Connor was going to do.

The heat against Murphy's face felt like he was standing in front of a bonfire. It made him blink to clear his eyes and his breath was coming faster now.

"Why not? They're just as responsible at that sick fuck was for Kevin's death. Why should they escape punishment? Fuck, the whole fucking wizarding world deserves to be punished for forcing Kevin into this." Connor stopped waiting for Murphy to answer. When he didn't, Connor spat "If you won't help me, than fuck you! I'll do it alone."

Murphy raised his gun. "Connor don't do this."

Connor turned his back on Murphy, returning his attention to the surviving Death Eaters.

_**Kensington, London UK – 5:30am**_

"To answer your question, I have to start at the beginning. You must understand that while we are able to observe events here on Earth we can't act to prevent them or interfere. Occasionally we will show ourselves to someone in a vision but nothing more. It is part of the compact made with Hell to prevent their direct interference." Michael explained.

"Ok, go on." Prompted Kevin. This was apparently going to be a long discussion. Also, where were Connor and Murphy he wondered but he decided to let that go for the moment.

"After the events of World War II, we decided that we could not allow such a horrendous act to ever occur again, regardless of the risks. So when we observed the rise of Voldemort, we began to fear for the future." Michael's eyes had taken on a far-away look, remembering the events of more than 20 years ago.

"Why just the angels, why wouldn't God intervene directly?" Kevin asked.

"Because free will is both a blessing and a curse. If God were to act in the defense of man, to save him from himself then what is the point of having free will. Mistakes are a natural consequence of free will. But while God would not act, he did not forbid us from helping."

His curiosity growing quickly, Kevin pressed "What did you do?"

Even now, Michael was still mystified by the turn of events and that was conveyed in his voice as he continued on. "A few of us had been debating about whether we should do something when the Morning Star asked to meet with us on neutral ground."

"Lucifer wanted to meet with you? But why?" Kevin blurted out, engrossed in the tale.

"We were just as curious. As it turns out, he too was concerned about Voldemort." He paused for a second at the frank disbelief shining from Kevin. "I know we were skeptical too. He was worried about the balance and the number of souls that would go to Heaven simply because there hadn't been enough time to corrupt them. Sadly, it was a motivation that we could believe coming from him."

Kevin had almost forgotten about his previous exhaustion and soreness as he became lost in the take "But what could you do? You said it was not allowed for you to act."

Michael nodded his head "Ahh, we weren't allowed to act because of the agreement with Hell. Having Lucifer himself involved changed things. Still you're right, we couldn't manifest directly even with agreement from both sides."

"Well you're here now, so obviously you figured something out."

Michael stood up and began to pace as he continued his tale. "There is only one way that we are allowed to act but it was not something done without significant consideration. By taking the form of mortal men we would be able to act without restriction just as any other man or woman."

"Who would do that?" Kevin couldn't fathom making that kind of sacrifice, overlooking his own sacrifice that he had been more than willing to make not so long ago.

"There were two that were willing to make such a sacrifice. The first was my brother Raguel. Appropriately enough, he was and will be again the Archangel of Justice."

"Who was the other one? And what does this have to do with me?" Kevin had a suspicion but he was almost afraid for Michael to answer. The memories that he had pieced together scared him with the possibility of his identity.

_**Rosier Manor, Wales UK – 2am**_

Murphy turned to see if the others saw what he was seeing. But from the looks in their eyes, they were just staring waiting to see what Connor was going to do. Other than Sirius, no one had made a move; the events of the evening combined with the aura that Connor was putting off seemed to have everyone stunned.

Maybe it was tied into Uriel somehow. Because what he was seeing right now was scaring the crap out of him. Connor was the same but at the same time there was something else overlaying him. Whatever it was had blackened angry looking cracked skin and the torn remnants of wings. The ripped and tattered remains of a simple robe were the only clothing visible. The only thing that Murphy could think of is that somehow Connor was possessed.

Well, there was no way that Murphy would let that thing make Connor do something that he would regret for the rest of his life. Hopefully whatever that thing was would lose its hold if Connor was knocked out. God, he hoped he didn't have to kill him. If he did, he wasn't sure that he wanted to survive without either of his brothers around.

"I'm serious Connor, stop now or I'll shoot."

Connor didn't even turn around; he just raised his own gun and yelled back "Fuck you Murph. I'm going to avenge Kevin even if you won't."

Choking back his grief, Murphy fired.

_**Kensington, London UK – 6am**_

"It was Lucifer. He refused to have two angels responsible and he didn't trust any of the other Fallen. To answer your other question you have to understand that we can't simply appear on Earth as men. Like all other humans, we must be born. It is so rarely done because when we become mortal, our memories, our very beings, even our connection to God are locked away. We become mortal in every sense of the word and can damn ourselves just as any other mortal could. It is possible to resume our place once we die but only if we have are still worthy."

Kevin sat up looked up at Michael nervously. "So I'm one of them? I'm either Raguel or Lucifer? But which one?"

Michael still didn't answer his question. He wanted Kevin to come to the realization himself. There was nothing Michael could do to help him understand the memories that Kevin would have to deal with now that they had been fully unlocked.

"When Voldemort attacked your home that night all those years ago, the killing curse he used on you partially unlocked your essence. Even as a mortal, only God has the power to destroy the soul of an angel which is what Voldemort was trying to do. While you had a mortal body, your soul was still that of an angel and the spell reacted differently to you than it did for anyone else."

"So, I've never been a wizard? I've never had magic even before the attack?"

"No, the power granted to you which was a mere fraction of your normal power was easily confused for magic by your parents and the other wizards and witches. In truth, you would never really belong in the wizarding world."

"I was just using my powers as an angel, something I was only able to do because Voldemort attacked me in the first place." A little relieved because now he was fairly certain who he was he added musingly "I wonder how Voldemort and his Death Eaters would have reacted if they ever learned the truth. I guess it doesn't really matter in the end justice was finally delivered. But please tell me that I'm not Lucifer."

Michael laughed again and clapped Kevin fondly on the shoulder. "No and you know you aren't. You have always been Raguel. You were never one of the Fallen."

"Who was Lucifer then?"

For the first time during their discussion, Michael frowned. Almost petulantly, he said "I have never questioned God's will before but I never suspected him of being so crafty."

"I don't understand." Kevin's face scrunched in confusion.

"Who do you know that has been your protector for almost your entire life, whether you wanted it or not? Who is the one who kept you in line, who kept your head on straight?" More than once, Michael had wondered if this had not been God's plan all along. And not just for Lucifer but for Raguel as well.

While it was true that Raguel had never been one of the Fallen, he was also one of those remaining that was most likely to fall. There would have been no grand design or power play behind his fall just a simple rejection of God. His brother used to see everything as black or white. There were no shades of grey. Now though, he had learned that things were rarely if ever that simple and more often than not true justice lay in the subtle shadings between the two poles. It was part of the reason he was so proud of his brother, as ageless beings Angels were not wont to change. By volunteering for this, Raguel had opened himself up to the idea of change and growth and Michael had no doubt that he would embrace those changes when he once again joined them.

Kevin thought for a second before paling and shaking his head in denial. "No, he couldn't be. It doesn't make sense; he has never been evil in any way." Kevin argued.

"Of course not, like you his memories were locked away. Like you he chose his path with no knowledge of his past to color his decisions."

"But Connor? How could he be Lucifer?"

"Whether he realized it or not, Lucifer has been given a chance to learn from his mistakes. When he dies, he will have all the memories of his time as your brother. Like you, those experiences will change him and maybe they will be enough to set him on a new path."

"But, what if he doesn't change?"

"Then everything will proceed as it has been for these last millennia." Michael said sadly.

"If Connor and I are angels, then who is Murphy?"

_**Rosier Manor, Wales UK – 2am**_

Even though he knew the cost to Connor, he couldn't shoot his brother, not with the bullets that Kevin had modified. Connor would never survive. Instead he shot at his feet in the hope that he would be stunned long enough for Murphy to knock him out the old fashioned way.

Whatever had possessed Connor wasn't powerful enough to absorb the full blast but it did absorb some of it. Murphy watched as Connor crashed to the ground and struggled to rise to knees. Praying that Connor would forgive him, he fired again, watching as Connor's body hit the ground hard a good five feet away. This time he didn't get up.

Not wanting to take any more risks, Murphy sprinted the short distance and sank to the ground beside Connor, absently noting that there was no more aura around him. He was just Connor again and Murphy said a prayer of thanks for that. Tentatively, he placed his finger against Connor's neck searching for a pulse. Whatever had possessed him, though, hadn't killed him because Murphy was rewarded with a strong steady pulse.

Murphy pulled Connor up, unconcerned about any injuries. Groaning Connor shifted his weight and leaned more against Murphy once he realized where he was. Crying softly he said "God, he's gone Murph. He's gone."

Holding onto Connor tightly, Murphy finally let some of his own grief out. "I know…I know."

_**Kensington, London UK – 6:30am**_

"Murphy is a mortal, no more no less." Michael could see the indignation on Kevin's face and held up his hand to stall any outburst. "I mean no offense by that. Murphy has more than proven himself. He risked his life in the service of Uriel and standing by your side against Voldemort and his Death Eaters. He did this simply because it was asked of him. While as a mortal he can never become an angel, he will always have a place within the Heavenly Host."

Kevin was both relieved and gratified. He didn't want the sacrifices that Murphy had made to be overlooked because he wasn't an angel. "What happens now?"

"Now you live out your life as a mortal man, get a job, start a family. When the time comes, you will rejoin us but that shouldn't be for a quite a while."

"Will I remember all this or will you seal my memories away again?"

"No, only God can do that now. You will need your memories because it will be important for you to learn to master your power again. It wouldn't do to harm someone accidentally."

"And Connor?"

"He will live out his life just like you and Murphy but his memories will remain sealed away."

"And there's no way that he could unlock them?" Kevin asked, still concerned about what it would mean if Connor ever realized who he was. He was nervous about his own reaction too, he just had to keep in mind that Connor was his brother and everything else might as well have been someone else.

"Other than death, only God can unlock his memories. There is always a chance that in times of great emotional turmoil he may access a portion of his powers but he will never have conscious control over them."

Almost to himself Kevin muttered "So he really is just Connor then. Where are they Michael? Can I see them?"

"They are probably at the cathedral." Michael sat down again and looked a little embarrassed "They may think that you…ahhh…they may think you didn't make it."

Kevin's eyes narrowed and for the first time he was angry with the angel in front of him. "Why would they think that? And if you knew they did, why did you bring me here?"

"I told you why I needed to speak with you alone." He said defensively. "As to why they might be under the impression you're dead, it's because I said I was taking you home."

He could only imagine what Connor and Murphy would think on hearing Michael say that while he disappeared with him. "Oh shit!"


	17. All Good Things

A/N: I do not own Harry Potter & Co. or The Boondock Saints.

**Chapter 17: All Good Things **

**Feb 23****rd****, 1999 **

_**St. Paul's Cathedral, London UK**_

Once he was certain that Connor was himself again, Sirius, Bill and Charlie Weasley moved over to kneel down next Murphy and Connor. Their own grief was readily apparent for all to see.

The Aurors were whispering to each other even as Kinsgley directed them to take the remaining Death Eaters back to the Ministry. It wasn't just that Voldemort was dead; it was what happened afterwards that had shaken the foundation of their beliefs. Most wizards and witches, especially those not raised in muggle society viewed religion as a quaint system created by muggles to make up for their lack of magic. After seeing the angels fill the night sky and listening to their haunting songs, the wizards and witches were forced to reexamine those beliefs and were left to wonder if they were not the deluded ones.

As much as he wanted to give the MacManus brothers his condolences for their loss, Kingsley felt he should stay away. This was a private moment and he had no right to intrude. So it didn't really surprise him to see Sirius and the Weasleys apparate away with Connor and Murphy in tow. He could only surmise that they had gone back to whatever hideout they had been using to escape from prying eyes.

There was nothing said when they arrived at the safe house. No one felt like talking and pretty soon everyone went back to their own bedrooms or in the case of the Weasleys, left to return to the flat they were renting with a promise to return in the morning. Needless to say it went unacknowledged by anyone.

-----

Kevin didn't arrive at the safe house until almost 7 in the morning. Michael had offered to take him or teach him how to do it himself but Kevin thought it would cause more problems in the short run then necessary. He didn't need people to see him arrive in a heavenly light, it would just cement the fact that he was dead or was something trying to trick them. No, it was best to arrive the good old fashioned way, taxi.

The safe house was quiet when he arrived. No one was up and about yet because of the hour. After checking a couple of the common rooms, Kevin decided that everyone must be in bed. And though his brothers could be bears when woken up early, he figured that his status among the living would hopefully make up for it.

Creeping quietly through the hallways, Kevin reached his bedroom and slowly opened the door. The room was dark but what surprised him was the fact that Connor was sleeping on his bed and curled up into a tight ball. Soft whimpers were coming from him as he slept and Kevin felt guilty even though he knew it was really Michael's fault.

Resting his hand on Connor's arm, Kevin shook him gently "Connor…Connor wake up."

Connor tried to shake Kevin's hand off and muttered "Go the fuck away!" But when the hand didn't move away, his eyes started to crack open. At first he didn't realize what he was seeing. When he recognized Kevin's face, he scooted back away from Kevin towards the wall. "No you're not real. Kevin's dead."

The words hurt; Kevin couldn't help the tears that filled his eyes at the sight of his brother backing away from him. "Connor, it's really me. I didn't die it was that stupid angel's fault that you thought that."

"He said he was taking you home and then he disappeared. Where else would that mean but Heaven?" Connor argued, afraid to hope but desperately wanting Kevin to prove him wrong.

Swallowing nervously Kevin explained while keeping his distance from Connor "Michael did bring me home." Here Kevin couldn't stop the small grin from forming "He brought me to our apartment because that is our home."

Kevin watched as Connor's mouth moved but nothing came out. Slowly, tentatively, he reached and touched Kevin's hand. The smooth skin underneath his fingertips was better than anything Connor had ever felt before. And before Kevin could react, he was tackled to the floor by Connor.

It took Kevin a second to realize that Connor was crying and all Kevin could do was hold on and rub his back soothingly. He knew he would be exactly the same if their positions were reversed. A couple minutes passed before Connor calmed down and Kevin tried to lighten the mood. "Fuck Connor, I just washed this shirt and now it's soaked again."

Connor laughed weakly before releasing Kevin and moving back a little to get a better look at him in the dim light of the room. Relief washed over him when he noticed that Kevin was unharmed except for some scrapes and bruises. Finally he asked "Why…why would he do that?"

Seeing his brother so upset angered Kevin a little and at the same time he couldn't help but feel a sense of wonder. This was the mortal form of Lucifer sitting in front of him crying because he thought his brother had died. God, his life was so fucking weird he thought. "Michael didn't think. He needed to explain some things to me and so he took me away without giving any thought to what you or the others would think."

"Explain what? You're ok aren't you? You're not going to die?"

"No, I asked the same things. I am perfectly fine and my connection to Voldemort is gone now that he is permanently dead. Look, I will tell you and Murphy everything but I would prefer to do it once. It is pretty big and I'm still not too sure how I feel about it."

"Oh god, Murph still thinks you're dead." With that, Connor shot to his feet and raced out of the room yelling for Murphy.

Kevin just stayed in the room only moving from the floor to his bed. He figured if he was going to be tackled again, at least this way it would be onto something softer than a stone floor.

Not long after Connor left, two people pounded into the room followed by a much more composed Connor. Kevin didn't bother saying or doing anything, he just let Murphy and Sirius maul him.

Still overcome with relief and joy at Kevin's return, Connor waited his turn before giving Kevin another hug. He needed the physical contact to reassure him that everything was truly ok. "They're both here so tell us why Michael wanted to speak with you alone and why he had to do it right away."

Not for the first time, Kevin wondered how they would react. His heart clenched just at the thought of losing his brothers and to a lesser extent Sirius. But they had a right to know and he really didn't want to keep secrets from his brothers. Well, except the one about Connor's true identity. That one was best left alone.

A bit reluctantly, Kevin began to speak. At first, he just reiterated what he told Connor and apologized for them thinking he was dead. His apology was immediately waved off, none of the men cared as long as Kevin was back for good. He could see it in their eyes; they were waiting for the other shoe to drop. While he was about to do just that, Kevin hoped they wouldn't think it was that bad.

When he was done describing his conversation with Michael, Sirius blurted "You're an angel? Was there ever any of Lily or James in you?"

Kevin winced at the accusing tone in Sirius' voice and he noticed that Connor and Murphy were glaring at Sirius which made him feel a little more confident. If they were still being protective of him than maybe everything would be all right in the end. "Yes, of course there is. I told you angels can't just interfere with things. The only way to do so is to be born as a mortal which is apparently what I chose to do. So in this life, I truly am their child but my soul will always be that of Raguel. God it's weird to think of myself in the third person."

Connor was about to say something to Sirius but was cut off by the man himself "I didn't mean to accuse you of anything; it's just a lot to take in. First we thought you died, now it turns out you're alive and also an angel."

Shifting a little on the bed Kevin said "I get that, but I don't think you realize. Only God himself could fully unlock my memories and powers and even after he did that, I'm still mortal. I will not be an angel again until I die. So really, I'm just like a wizard just my powers come from a different source."

"Well I don't care what you are or aren't. You're still my annoying little brother." Murphy declared throwing his arm around Kevin's shoulders. Turning to the others he added "I don't know about you guys but I'm ready to get the hell out of this fucking country. No offense Sirius, but I really hate this fucking place."

Not surprising, Connor was all for moving back to the States. Kevin wasn't against it either. "You won't hear me arguing. Where should we go?"

Sirius broke in "Hey what about me? Don't I get a say in this?"

Kevin just rolled his eyes. "No! It's three Americans to one Brit. We outnumber you."

Sirius just crossed his arms and grumbled to himself. "Fine then at least make sure there's a school that I can teach at in the area."

"Fuck Sirius do you know anything about the US? There's a college of some sort just about everywhere you go or at least all the places we'd consider moving to." Murphy exclaimed.

Connor cleared his throat "As nice as it would be, I think we should avoid Boston. Let's get a fresh start somewhere. Somewhere we won't have to worry about the past catching up with us."

Kevin could have kissed him just then. It gave him the perfect opening. "Chicago always sounded like a nice city. It even has a big Irish presence and of course any city that dies their river green for St. Patrick's Day can't be too bad."

All three men looked at Kevin but it was Murphy who was really staring at him. He narrowed his eyes suspiciously and asked "And what about Caitlyn? I thought she was going to Georgetown?"

Now it was Kevin's turn to stammer and blush a little. "Her family is moving to Chicago because her father just got transferred there."

"Oh so there's no ulterior motive or anything for choosing Chicago. Irish presence my ass…" Murphy muttered.

Connor wrapped his arm around Murphy's neck pulling him away from Kevin the process and said in a sing-song voice "It's just so cute. Kevin and Caitlyn sitting in a tree…" The rest was muffled when Kevin hit in the face with a pillow.

"Yeah laugh it up. Sirius come on, you're my godfather. A little back up would be appreciated."

Sirius felt that it was as good a time as any for a little payback. "No, I wouldn't want the Americans to gang up on me. This seems like something that you need to settle for yourselves."

"Traitor!" Kevin accused with a smile.

"Far be it for me to come between the brothers MacManus. It just shouldn't be done."

Practically bouncing on the bed now, Kevin asked excitedly "So can we move to Chicago? Can we pleaaase? It would be ever so lovely." He finished in a horrible British accent.

"Oh my god, just shoot me now!" Connor said.

**June 15****th****, 2002**

_**Evanston, IL USA**_

Kevin stood in line with all the other graduates, waiting for his name to be called. It was a beautiful day, the sun was shining brightly and the temperature was in the low 70s. The grounds were packed with the friends and family of the graduates.

There was a part of Kevin that still couldn't believe it was happening. It was already 3 ½ years ago that he had been in the UK fighting for his life and now here he was graduating with honors from Northwestern. It was ironic really while the rest of his friends and classmates were stressing over finals or deadlines, Kevin just went on his merry way. All the fighting had done one thing, it taught him how to deal with stress and it put things like finals into perspective.

"Kevin MacManus" called out the generic voice. Grinning broadly, Kevin fought against laughing when he heard his brothers screaming his name. It would have been impossible to miss the catcalls coming from Sirius and Caitlyn.

When he got his diploma, Kevin just hoped that his mom was proud of him. She always wanted her boys to do well.

Once the ceremony was over, he was swept into a hug just before being kissed soundly. "I'm so proud of you." Caitlyn gushed before kissing him again.

"Yeah, it's been an eventful weekend for you two." Connor grinned. It had been quite the celebration earlier that weekend. It wasn't just Kevin's graduation; he had finally popped the question after dating Caitlyn for close to 4 years.

Kevin smiled again before leaning down and kissing his fiancé one more time.

"Ok that's enough of that, you two can celebrate later. Besides it's not like either of you are done with school yet anyway. Personally I still can't believe that little Kev is going to law school. And you Caitlyn, you still have another 3 years of med school left ahead of you." Murphy shook his head. "You two are just nuts."

Sirius laughed. It was so good to see Kevin happy. He just knew that somewhere James and Lily were proud of what their son had become. Things were going well for him too. Not that he would admit it of course, but personally he preferred teaching in the states. Maybe it was the school or the students, he wasn't sure but he loved his position at DePaul. He was even up for tenure soon. Now, all he had to do was to find some nice woman to settle down with.

"So Connor is the lovely Ashley going to be joining us for dinner?" Sirius asked while they were walking back to the cars.

Connor actually ducked his head to hide his blush. Murphy just chuckled. He had never seen his brother so flustered by a woman. If he didn't know better he would think things were getting permanent. "Who would've guessed you end up dating a groupie?"

"Hey she's not a groupie; she just likes hanging out at the fire station." Connor defended his girl friend hotly before realizing what Murphy was doing. "Oh fuck you Murph, you're just jealous because all the chicks dig fire fighters and forget about the police officers."

"I get plenty of action and who says I want to be tied down anyway? Would it really be fair to deprive the female population of this fine specimen?"

"Speaking as a member of the female population, I would say yes, please deprive us. You will be doing us all a favor."

Caitlyn found herself wrapped in Connor's arms getting a kiss on the cheek. "Oh I knew she was a keeper. You better marry her soon and make an honest woman out of her Kev."

Laughing Caitlyn batted him on the arm "Forget being an honest woman, I might get a better offer so I don't mind the wait."

**July 15****th****, 2005**

_**Chicago, IL USA**_

Connor was standing at the front of Old St. Patrick's church trying to calm his little brother down. "Dude just calm down, she's not going to back out now."

"But what if…" Kevin whispered. Straightening the cuffs of his tuxedo again and staring nervously at the main entrance to the centrum, Kevin was trying desperately to think of something else other than the upcoming ceremony. He noticed Connor's wife Ashley sitting in the front pew holding their 18month old daughter Lindsey. Part of him was amazed that Connor, the mortal form of Lucifer, was married and had a daughter. Not to mention that he worked as a fire fighter saving lives. If he had ever wondered if God had a sense of humor, this would have settled any doubts.

Connor leaned back towards Murphy and asked "Was I this bad?"

"No." Murphy said simply. When Connor started to smirk he added "But, I think you were still drunk from the night before."

Both Murphy and Connor were laughing quietly when the music started and Caitlyn appeared in the doorway. Murphy had to ask though "This is your last chance, are you sure you want to go through with this?"

Kevin didn't even answer; he couldn't take his eyes off of Caitlyn. She was beautiful. As soon as she started walking down the aisle Kevin started to grin stupidly. He barely even heard Murphy mutter "Oh God, look at him. Could he look any sappier?"

The rest of the day was a blur for both Kevin and Caitlyn. After their honeymoon, he would be starting to clerk for Robert Cahill, a judge on the Appellate court and Caitlyn would begin her residency with the University of Chicago hospital. She had another 5 years ahead of her before she would be a full-fledged orthopedic surgeon.

Sirius had fully embraced American life and had begun dating a fellow professor at DePaul. He claimed it was just because he needed to bring someone to department functions but as Kevin pointed out, that didn't explain why they saw each other practically every day.

Murphy was still with the Chicago PD and gloriously single. Despite frequent protests to the contrary, his brothers suspected that he was getting tired of the bachelor life, especially now that he was the last single MacManus. Personal life aside, Murphy was able to put the skills learned as a Saint to use and was even considering sitting for the detective's exam.

There were times that he felt like laughing insanely when he looked at what he was doing. If Murphy or either of his brothers had been told that they would end up as law abiding citizens serving as a policeman, attorney or fire fighter they would have been told to fuck off or to lay off the alcohol. Yet here they were, the revered or dreaded, depending on whom you ask, Saints of South Boston working within the system to help people and serve justice.

**July 15****th****, 2010**

_**Chicago, IL USA**_

"This is Kevin." Kevin said briskly holding the phone between his shoulder and ear while he worked on a legal brief.

His wife's somewhat haggard voice came through "It's time."

Silence reigned. Kevin's mind froze and he just sat at his desk, pencil in hand until the phone slipped off his shoulder. The apology was still on his lips when he heard Caitlyn laughing. "The fearsome Assistant District Attorney Kevin MacManus, terror of the criminal system, oh if only the defendants could see you now, taken down by two simple words."

That seemed to snap Kevin back to reality. "Are you ok? Are you at home? Do I need to pick you up? Do you have a ride? Do…"

He was cut off before he could keep rambling. "I'm fine; I was finishing up some reviews of the newer residents at the hospital when it started. So all you need to do is get down here without killing yourself or someone else in the process."

Kevin didn't know how she could be so calm. She was in labor. Their child, his son was going to be born. What if something went wrong? Would he be a good father? What…

"Kevin stop worrying, get into a cab and come to the hospital. I'll call your brothers and Sirius. You're not in any condition to do it for yourself."

Moving mechanically, Kevin left his office with barely a word to anyone. Everything was a blur. When he arrived at the hospital he couldn't even remember hailing a cab. It was like he was operating on auto-pilot. Luckily one of the doctors recognized him when he got to the hospital and walked with him up to his wife's room.

12 hours later, a tired and emotionally exhausted opened the door and walked to the waiting room. Grinning like he never had before, led Connor, Sirius, and Murphy back into the room. Caitlyn was on the bed, practically glowing with happiness as she held their son, Patrick MacManus.

Kevin sat down next to his wife and gently held his son when she passed him over. "Everybody, I'd like to introduce Patrick MacManus." He never even looked up when he said it. His eyes wouldn't move from his son's perfect face. Finally tearing his gaze away from his son he shared a long loving look with Caitlyn before looking at taking in the other members of his family. All he could do was to thank God for allowing him the opportunity to have such an incredible family.

Everything had come full circle, after spending so many months ending life, Kevin, Connor and someday Murphy were now bringing new life into the world. Placing a gentle kiss on Patrick's forehead, Kevin knew without a doubt that everything he and his family had been through was worth it. Life quite simply was good.


End file.
